--US Office of Expeditionary Operations(USOEO)--
 A stocky but aging man with a slick tan wrinkle-less USOEO uniform with four general stars pinned to his breast, leaned into his oak podium in front of the small auditorium as he nodded to the figures that began entering the room. At his side is sharp appraising eyed woman with her arms folded across her own British uniform. They both wait patiently for the team to assemble. When he finally speaks it's with a proper New England accent, it makes many of you think he might've once been Navy. "Greetings, I'm General Sawyer and this is Penny Roberts, British Intelligence. Thank you for coming, please have a seat and we can begin."

 Nearby in a corner a young stenographer quietly taps out headings for his notes in shorthand. By his side is a projector which would project the mission data onto the wall behind the General. He watches the assembly with curious detachment and only responds directly to the eyes of the General, perhaps a personal assistant.

 Aside from these three are several other officers including several of your contacts, as well as scientists, and engineers and attaches seated to the sides of the room. All of them watch each of your entrances with a studied interest and more than one flips through dossiers when you enter and a hush descends on the room. At a guess, this is the current staff of the USOEO, and most of you know that the Bureau was created earlier this year. So everything has a nice shine to it, and a fresh coat of paint everywhere.

 The room itself could fit thirty to forty officers easily and has three entrances, two in front on either side of the stage and in back. It has the look of a situational room.



OOC: For the sake of brevity, Tunguska Data: link to a message in this game
After everyone enters we can begin talking about the info and any questions your characters might have about what else we know or suspect so far. Also be thinking of that equipment list you'll want to take with you, if any...
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:51, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

At six feet and six inches Asar is very nearly the tallest man that most have seen personally. That his shoulders are wide, arms well muscled, and his chest deep makes for an imposing figure. He looks middle aged with a heavy head of thick hair and an even thicker beard. His beard is oiled and curled, going down at least 7 inches onto his chest. Light brown eyes take in everything and reflect something that none seem to be able to identify. He is dressed in a inexpensive brown suit with a yellow tie and has an overcoat on his arm. He greets several individuals casually in decidedly British English, but with foreign accent.

When he sits down the chair beneath him groans a little bit. He smiles at those that look his direction with a familiarity that this is a common occurrence. As the general speaks he pays very close attention, taking notes in a journalists pad he pulled out of his breast pocket. For those close enough to overlook, the notes are not in English.

As he enters the room, Roach hunches his shoulders almost instinctively at the sudden attention from the People inside. In his experience, that kind of attention is dangerous more often than not. Sure he came for the job, but the nagging feeling that it might be either somd kind of setup or trap. Tricking bums mostly be the purview of the young and angry, but upscale People Are no less capable of cruelty.
Resolving himself, Hiram tries to put both Roach and his fears away for now, and sits down. Albeit as close to the exit as he can without being too obvious.
He sinks into his chair, briefly considers takling of his worn scarf and patched, overly large coat, but ultimately decides against it. He's nowhere near that comfortable around these People. Besiddes, having just spent what little money he had on a dry cleaning of the coat for this job, it's much more comfortable than usual. Trying in vain to flatten his unruly hair somewhat, he eventually settles for observing the other People present whenever they're not looking at him.

Ms. Sanderson, proper British lady, stood ramrod straight using her umbrella like a walking cane. Looking at her one might glimpse strands of her red hair kept piled on her head beneath a bowler hat. Her dress, which covered her throate to the tops of her feet which are encased laced boots, was a muted brown. She wore brown leather gloves and a warm coat, though the long article seemed more made for a man, and it too was a dark muted brown. Her face is half hidden behind a lace veil, which matched the black color of her hat. She is as tall as the average man, and muscular but still feminine. Her blue eyes move this way and that, following those she thought a threat. Her hands are folded atop the hook handle of her umbrella. She carried only one piece of luggage, a dark black duck bag, the kind used two hundedred years ago by British Naval and Marine soldiers. Her lips are together, she shows no emotion, and her chin is slightly up, as was any English woman.

Though still veiled her eyes do move about, taking in the others. They seemed to be almost exclusively men. Well that’s one point for me, I don’t mind being surrounded by men. Then she closed her eyes and focused on her other senses. She let the sounds others made bounce off of walls, flesh, clothing, etc and she used this to form a map in her mind, a map of every single suface in the room, of surfaces outside the room that the sound touched and returned to her as echoes. She focused on her sense for danger, on the way her mind could pick up on subtle things and translate them to an intuition, a warning that she was in danger. When she opened her eyes again she knew much more than before.

17:09, Today: Ms. Sanderson rolled 72 using 1d100.  Sonar - learning things others cannot.
17:09, Today: Ms. Sanderson rolled 80 using 1d100.  Danger sense - is everything safe in here?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:11, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Angok's eyes darted about quickly as he walked into the room. Everything about it was strange to him, even now, and set him on edge. He was a huge man, or at least some semblance similar to a man, standing at least as tall as the big man that had entered the room before him. He looked rather uncomfortable in the quite new Levi Strauss blue jeans he wore, work boots, and tight fitting white shirt that looked like it had been borrowed from somewhere much smaller than him. Even dressed as he was, it was clear he was a man, or creature, of action. His muscles were large and sinewy, filled with obvious power, and his hands showed the callouses of someone who'd spent his life hefting tools or perhaps wielding weapons of death. His skin was an odd shade of brown, perhaps even closer to grey, and riddled with scars across his arms while his long black hair was pulled back into many braids that settled onto his shoulders and back. But it was his face that was his most startling feature. His ears were large and seemed to come to a point at the end, while his sharp features seemed to scrunch around his nose, giving him a menacing and yet rather exotic and dangerously alluring appearance.

Standing next to him was a short, unassuming man with round spectacles and a grey fedora. Dressed in a bland grey suit that was clearly not tailored, he spoke quietly to the large man, seeming to encourage him into the room. Finally the pair make there way to the back, standing quietly, the large man's eyes scanning the room and its occupants.

 The woman to the side of the General stepped forward to acknowledge Ms.Sanderson with a curt nod and heads towards her with a spring in her step, despite her heeled shoes. She does so fluidly and with only the slightest clatter to stand before her with an outstretched hand offering her a file folder. Ms.Sanderson is acquainted with Mrs.Roberts but hasn't had much contact with her.

 After Sanderson takes the folder, she asks quietly, "I trust your trip was smooth and uncomplicated? I've heard the cod is awful on the blue line."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:57, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Nic walked in to the room and paused, looking around slowly. One eyebrow rose and he then made his way to one of the seats. His eyes shifted, unconsciously, towards one of the military officers in the room, but then quickly snapped away. He certainly didn't salute anyone, but he did give a nod of acknowledgement.

He was a middle-aged human male in his late twenties or early thirties. He was potentially only a little imposing at first glance, standing six feet in height, well-muscled, hearty but also a bit of grace to him. His shoulder-length brown hair was in a mass of braids or dreadlocks or maybe both. His eyes were a piercing blue color, and the beginnings of a beard on his chin. He was wearing nondescript clothing that allowed freedom of movement, and was not very colorful on purpose.

"H'lo, everyone." He spoke in a deep voice, just a hint of a huskiness to it, clearly an American accent, though more mid-western than the General's.

He looked at ease for the most part as he lounged back, though he kept rubbing his forehead gently on occasion. Keen eyes might see a small faint scar where he was rubbing. Inwardly, he was...a little uncomfortable. He wasn't part of the military and wasn't overly fond of the overall organization, though some individuals were held in high regard.

A young woman enters carrying a battered piece of luggage.

At her height she is the shortest of the group, being about 5'1. Unlike Ms. Sanderson, who knows how to measure and be measured, there is a certain innocence to Miss Silina. She wears a loose, white blouse, a sepia walking skirt, and a brown belt. She has loose, fair hair and carries her luggage with a certain determination. None of this is unusual for a lady of collegiate age or near thereto who is in possession of modest means, who has not yet taken up the shackles of stodgy refinement.

Untamed by the collection of men and uniforms, she stares back fiercely at at one visiting officer foolish enough to stare.

She finds a place to stand, and being acquainted with the General, takes up a place near him, settling the luggage on the floor and beaming openly at an officer with whom she is clearly acquainted.

"Adam, " she says in delight, as if they were alone, "I got hopelessly lost. All of the buildings look the same."

Ms. Sanderson took the folder and nodded, speaking in a low hushed tone. "Yes, I found the trip relaxing." All clear, no issues. She continued, "I always skip the fish, I had the beef instead. It was sublime." Understood. Complying with request. She opened the folder she had been handed, Hanging her umbrella on her forearm as she did so. "The weather outside seems frightful." There is something dangerous beyond this room.

Art entered the briefing room wearing only his day to day work clothes which consisted of a pair of sturdy boots, a pair of the more dressy type of overall pants held up by suspenders, a cotton work shirt, a jacket, and a cap. Removing the cap to be respectful, it was easy to see that his dark hair had been washed and combed, but with no hint of pomade or other styling product.

As for the man himself, Art was of medium height and build, the kind that could easily be lost in the crowd. By contrast his face, while not striking, was memorable. He offered a smile for everyone in the room before quietly taking a seat.

https://postimg.cc/cKgFrC1q
This message was last edited by the player at 22:17, Mon 24 Aug 2020.

 Penny nods a wordless smile and purses her lips, responding perhaps to everyone's entrances or Ms.Sanderson's words. She taps a nail once on the arm of her seat before gracefully making her way back to stand by the General in preparation. As she passes Asar, she gives him a slightly more feminine appraisal and a raised eyebrow.

---

Adam Reed beams at Silina and leans towards her, "Glad to see you made it regardless," he says with a sheepish glance towards the general, "I'm sure we'll be able to talk again after."

---

Dr. Marcus Short tried his best to comfort his huge friend and tried his best to explain the situation better, "now this gent will tell us why we've been summoned and give us a solid plan about what's to come on this journey. I think it will take you closer to your home, but we don't know anything just yet, it's all supposition..."

---

The General is obviously a practiced bureaucrat but it was unthinkable that a general never saw combat in this day and age. The truth was he had fought in several skirmish wars across the great plains now and his pain at this level of disorganization was plain. He wasn't however foolish and most of all he wasn't about to let this mission go off with any hitches. "Good morning to you all," he began, "Most of you know that we are planning an expedition into Siberia, but you may not know what it is we are going to explore, you all seem to be very intelligent folks so by now you can see that we have need of some extremely unique individuals for this bully of a mission. One of the main reasons is we can't provide direct support at your destination for one thing because of regional laws and treaties, and for another we don't know what the exact nature of the danger could be or exactly how dangerous a situation we might be walking into."

 "Washington detected a blast originating deep in the heart of Siberia in July, from the northeast of the Krasnoyarsk region. Our best mathematicians tell us the explosion was stronger than anything we've ever detected, more than five million sticks of dynamite. Our friends in Britain tell us it wasn't he Mongolians or the Russians," he paused to let that sink in and nods to his stenographer who promptly flicks on the projector embedded into the ceiling. His pointer taps against the area of the blast on the projected map. He nods again to the aide and a red circle marks out the estimated blast zone. "We still don't know what exactly the damage is, so those in the expeditionary group will need to be ready for rough terrain, but that's not all...please try to remain calm for this."

 The side door opens and the sounds of a cart can be heard as a large crate like cage is wheeled onto the platform. A canvas tarp covers the 1 x 2m box, and from within you all hear a predatory whine, along with a clank of metal against the cage bars. The dim lights cast deep shadows under the tarp, but they rush away when one of the spectacled men who brought it in throw off the tarp to reveal the cages contents.

 Within a mechanized sound accompany a grunt of surprise. Coming to a standing position the creature rises up to the height of the cage, nearly 2m tall. It's glistening eyes dart about the room nervously as the rest of the room gasps a breath. It's obviously partly mechanical and partly living creature, combining some various traits of other more mundane creatures but definitely not of this world.

 This creature however looks lame and perhaps quite damaged internally, for it is unsteady on it's feet and can't seem to maintain it's coordination very well.



 The General seems to continue despite the creature's shockingly grotesque appearance, "this isn't the only thing we've gotten reports of either. Strange things are happening out there and we need to determine how much danger it all poses and if nothing else can be done, to eliminate the possibility of these kinds of things from falling into the hands of our enemy's. Japan has been making plays in the Pacific so the President has asked me to try to keep from upsetting relations with Czar Nicholas, while he prepares to send our Great Fleet out for a world wide tour. I think it's a mistake to showcase our power so brazenly but he's told me himself that it's imperative that we put as positive a light on our country as possible. There's no telling what could happen though in such a remote place though. Questions so far?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:56, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

"Ahem, yes, if I may..." Hiram speaks up, his voice a bit hoarse as if it's been a while, but nonetheless softer and more refined than one'd expect from an obvious transient. "I was admittedly not very well informed or prepared for this, seeing as I was simply happy to jump at the chance of... employment. But I cannot help but question your choice. not for the other participants, if anything you all seem more than qualified to My admittedly untrained eye. I simply cannot see how I could ever be of use on such an obviously harsh and important expedition."

While Hiram starts his question nervously and with Eyes darting to and fro, he seems to gain a measure of confidence as he talks, stranding slightly less hunched and his voice gaining a bit of power. Despite the fact that he seems to be disparaging himself.
"I fail to understand how my... peculiarities, for lack of a better term, can aid this expeditionary force. I have no relevant training or knowledge. neither would I describe myself as the sort of man Who could go on... well something that sounds like an adventure out of a novel."

At this point his eyes land on the creature in the Cage, and both his expression and voice actually takes on a bit of anger.
"more to the point, why have you not either given this creature medical attention or put it out of it's misery? It may look like something one would find in Mary Shelley's writing, but no man or beast should be made to suffer as this one obviously is." He says with an accusatory tone, before it dawns on him Who he is talking so rudely to. Instantly Any momentum he's built up is lost, and he barely manages to stammer out a muttered apology as he deflates back into his seat and tries to hide from Any and All gazes.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:38, Mon 24 Aug 2020.

Getting the attention of Asar was not something uncommon for him. If nothing else he rather stood a full head over most men. He gave Penny a polite wink in return for her raised eye brow. It would be impolite to not acknowledge her interest, even if he didn't know what kind of interest it might be. This way she could feel free to counter show her interest by touching her hair in some way or smiling with a sideways glance as she moved off. Either could signal a friendly liaison later in the evening.

Regardless, it was soon forgotten as the general brought out his creature. Asar was impressed as the creature seemed to have integrated metal limbs. He knew what a golem was, but this was something else, a hybrid. Anything was possible with magic, but it seemed that this new technology could also make the seeming impossible happen.

He remains only curious for this creature, despite its incredible duality, was nowhere near as horrifying in appearance as some of the being he has encountered. In fact, it looked more like a pet hunting dog for some denizen of the underworld. He waits for the show to continue.

 The Ms.Roberts raises an eyebrow to Hiram and waves a hand at the creature, "you are welcome to try Mr.Brull. Tranquilizer won't work on it and we've tried several kinds dosages including enough to knock out an elephant. The only thing that seems to allow us to even contain it is a powerful electromagnet attached to the bottom of this cage."

 The creature snarls as if in resentment, but the fusion of technology has still left it bereft of speech or intelligent communication in any event. It moves and reacts like a bear or dog might.

 "As to your usefulness here, that is entirely up to you. In my opinion, you would make an excellent scout, but the situation will be quite fluid. You may be required to take on multiple hats Mr.Brull, again, that is on your honor to find your place should you join our expedition," she says with the military cadence of a drill instructor, "it is my hope that all of you will join this expedition, all of your peculiarities as Mr.Brull has put it, will be quite beneficial should you face the worst."




o
This message was last edited by the player at 23:39, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

Asar rolls the term electromagnet around in his skull. It takes a few moments, but finally he understands they are using the technological magic of electricity to create a loadstone. In his accented British style English,

"Where did you find this creature....Sir."

Nic watched some of the interplay between people, and just the general way the people spoke and behaved. It was a bit fascinating, especially for someone who spent a lot of time removed from society and civilization. Surprisingly, he wasn't the most 'mountain man' ish type person in the room for once. The thought was amusing.

He listened to what the general had to say. Intently, though he might not look it on the outside. "Unique individuals". What did THAT mean? Had he not been chosen for his survival and guide skills? Did the others have...abilities...as well? Was this to be a circus sort of thing? His eyes narrowed a bit.

When the creature was brought in, a deep frown slid on to his face. He wasn't sure what to make of that exactly. "Was this...creature..." He paused for a second, unsure of what he wanted to say, "found this way? Or who added the metal parts to this creature? Are you suggesting an unexplained explosion did this?" He sounded unbelieving of that last one.

Art tried to do a general assessment of everyone in the room. He was certain that such an assessment would need to be heavily modified once he learned more about each person in depth, but he found that it was always good to have a frame of reference. With that in mind, Art paid particular attention to General Sawyer and Penny Roberts. Once the briefing began, Art pulled out a small notepad from his left back pocket and removed a pencil from behind his right ear. Art began taking notes.

Siberia.
Regional laws and treaties.
Blast - July - northeast of the Krasnoyarsk region.
Strongest explosion ever. Exceeded five million sticks of dynamite.

Art’s note taking was halted abruptly when the creature was wheeled in and the report touched on strange things occurring in the area. “Is this some sort of automaton hybridization?” Art asked in wonder. He had of course read about automatons, but he had written it off as a passing fad. Now Art was not quite so sure.

A tingling sensation worked its way up Art’s spine. Then it was as if someone, somewhere was softly saying his name. Over and over. Art chewed at his bottom lip and the strange feelings were gone. Perhaps he had stood too close to the electromagnetic field.


OOC :
16:17, Today: Agent Ace rolled 72 using 1d100.  Psyche roll. [Yellow Feat]

 The General nods to the questions, "Ms.Roberts, if I may?" he asks showing his respect for their guest, she nodded a slight bow and gave him the floor, "the Intelligence service found this after the British launched their own expedition. There were "others", beings that Ms.Robert's colleagues were unable to keep or survive, if I may be perfectly blunt about it."

 Penny frowned and added, "we found this one all the way in the Ural Mountains west of the blast zone a month ago. However sadly, three of my officers were killed attempting to get it and the two others back to us. Our expedition was down to three and so witnessing what we did, we decided to head back to regroup. It was only harmed because it attacked us, but quite honestly there are few things we possess that would've even scratched that hide, we found it already lame and already fused with the machine...enhancements, disfigurements."

 "Once we tricked it into the cage, it began to have issues with it's control and we aren't one hundred percent certain why but it may have electricity running in there that's being disrupted by the magnetism."

 The General stepped forward again taking advantage of the momentary pause and address the other questions, "we don't know what it is and we definitely aren't suggesting that the blast necessarily constructed this. Perhaps Ms.Silina can chime in here, the math is way above my paygrade?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:42, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

Ms. Sanderson felt the danger rising from the creature. She knew enough to understand that it must have some ability that would be at range and invisible, not unlike her own passive sonar. She raised her voice enough to be heard by everyone but did not take a combative tone, rather if anything her tone is motherly and respectful. "Would everyone be so kind as to give the creature a bit more space. And since we've all had a chance to ogle it, perhaps it could be covered again? I have an...intuition about such things...an intuition that is alerting me to the fact that this creature is not only dangerous but becoming more so. I would respectful as this for everyone's safety." In saying this she took two long striding steps away from the monstrosity.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:46, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

When the creature was unveiled, Miss Silina had gone pale. Images of monsters had passed through her mind, with an inhuman intensity. Nevertheless, she had gradually regained her color and drawn closer to the creature, turning her head this way and that with curiosity. Kingdom: Animal; Phylum: Chordata; Order...? She had never read of anything like it.

In response to the General, she replied,"It is extremely improbable, General, that any known being could survive 100 petajoules. However, we do not know enough to be certain of anything."

She took a few steps back at Ms. Sanderson's warning.

When the creature was revealed, Angok's anxiety was quickly replaced with a curiosity bred by years of hunting and his own recent experiences with strange and alien creatures. That the creature appeared alien to the rest of the people in the room comforted him slightly, as he was concerned he'd be the only one in the dark on what the creature was. He'd started to move closer, getting a better angle to view the creature when the "proper" woman asked everyone to remain back. He wasn't entirely certain of all of the words she said, but he got the impression that she might know something more about the creature than the rest of them, so he stopped, and examined the creature from afar.

As the other woman spoke, he turned back to look at Dr. Short for a brief moment before turning to the woman. His voice was deep and gravelly as he spoke slowly, and his accent was clearly foreign  but impossible to place, "Maybe the...explosion brought it from somewhere else." Of this he knew a little something about.

 Just then the creature's milky upper-eyes begin to glow with a soft reddish light as if it was a dead battery that suddenly received a jumper. A snarl that seemed much more energetic than the last erupted from the beast, and something in it's metallic arms begin to move that previously seemed inert.

 Some of the nearby staff and officers stood up, deciding to take heed to Ms.Sanderson's warning with more haste a few paces back from their seats. In fact the only one that did not seem overly fazed by this was Asar. However the creature appeared to be regaining it's strength and coordination before their eyes. It's lower eyes darted around the room as it searched for something or someone before it could entirely lose it's chance.

 The spectacled man who had wheeled the cage in nodded to the suggestion to cover it back up and made to do so, but not quickly enough. The creature's serrated tongue surprisingly whipped around his arm and began to pull him in despite his screaming and struggling against it. In another few seconds his arm would be in the mouth of the creature.

[No intiative necessary just yet, but whoever wants to respond can, just don't post over one another in that regard.]
This message was last updated by the GM at 17:08, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

In the blink of an eye Asar is next to the cage and one of his arms is a blur of motion. He is making sure that his blow does not knock the creature back from the spectacled man, as that might actually rip the arm off if the tongue does not let go. Instead his fist flashes between the bars of the cage and right into the side of the creatures head. This hopefully will make it leg go.

Then the chair that Asar had been sitting in finally crumbles to the floor broken.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:20, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

 The beast takes the hit to the skull and releases the man. The flesh does not give way like ordinary flesh and bone might, the creature slumps onto it's forelimbs for a moment, shaken but not out...

 The bespectabled man quickly backs away and rubs his arm where the serrated tongue had made some scraping gouges and nods to Asar, "thank you!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:21, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

Sil felt the wind of Asar's passage blow back her hair before she even registered what had happened. Her mind estimated possible speeds, almost instinctively. That was fast!

She jumped forward to finish the bespectacled man's work of covering the creature's view, to disorient it if nothing else. Something had roused its energy.  What was the cause?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:14, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

Suddenly, Arthur made a gurgling sound as if being drowned or strangled, then he jolted to his feet. Once standing, he froze in place without another movement. His skin had become pale quickly and there was an abject expression of terror on his face. Still, he moved not another hair, not even to take in a breath.

OOC :
16:29, Today: Agent Ace rolled 40 using 1d100.  Psyche roll. [White Result]

This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

Nic wasn't exactly lazing about or unready for action - but, well, it WAS a briefing and he hadn't been ready for a fight before the creature had been rolled out. THAT had set him on edge. When the large man blurred into motion, Nic had trouble following the movements until they stopped and Asar was punching the creature in the cage.

Nic blinked several times, his eyes going wide and his eyebrows shooting upwards. He hadn't even finished starting to stand up before Asar had finished. He hesitated and then slowly sank back down in to his chair.

"As I live and breathe!" He shook his head. "Simply amazing."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:09, Sat 29 Aug 2020.

 As the man with glasses scrambled to care for himself he nearly forgot the cable feeding power to the cage's electromagnet and quickly adjusted the voltage on the cords controls to try to reestablish full containment. The creature began to slam into the side of the cage with it's body beneath the canvas tarp, threatening to knock it over.

 The General pressed a button on his podium and a squad of soldiers filed in quickly to take control of the beast. Several canes came out, not unlike the sort one would use to pull performers off-stage in those days. They quickly hooked the cage and began to pull it back outside. Meanwhile a medic found the creature's initial handler and began to field bandage him and apply ointments.

 Unfortunately for Arthur who continued to feel the effects of the psionic attack for a few minutes. The feeling was already a fading nausea and a bit of a headache. The creature had done some damage, but what was it about, it's purpose in doing so?

 Miss Roberts escorted the creature out of the room. The General straightened his suit and stepped back up to the podium, acknowledging Asar's speedy save with an offered handshake. "That is perhaps a taste of what we'll be up against out there, or it could be a one of a kind aberration."

Ms. Sanders saw what was going on, at least with this fellow. She made her way over to him, moving silently as if her feet were on air instead of the ground. "Perhaps someone should see to this fellow, sort him out while you are sorting out the others." She turned to Asar, lifting a brow. "I think I should enjoy sparring with you." Her tone is not playful, but serious. Then she looked around at the entire group and turned to face the general. "I will go on this expedition, if for no other reason than to keep this motely bunch out of trouble. Do you have any other surprises in store for us here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:34, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

"You are familiar with Mary Shelley Sir? Yes, well given that there are other such abominations out there I get the impression that this is just the surface of the water we are looking at."

He leans in as they shake hands and says in a whisper, "It took a full strength punch from me and only seemed to get mad. Perhaps the animal parts are a disguise or a minority of the creatures being."

He turns and addresses Ms. Sanderson, "As you wish m'lady."

He returns to where he was sitting only to notice that the chair he left so quickly had broken into pieces. He picks his small notebook and writing utensil up off the ground and then heads to the back and stands against the wall. He gives a grin and a nod to anybody who tries to make eye contact with him, but leaves it at that.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:14, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

Once matters settled some, Sil took a position near the General and waited for his nod before proceeding.

"There is at least one more thing. The comment from earlier, " she said, "was whether the explosion brought the subject from elsewhere." Her gaze lingered on Angok. "You may all now have a new appreciation for that theory. Ten years ago, Dr. Schiller theorized a new kind of physics and posited that a large enough burst of energy could warp space and time. His work was buried in the literature, and the General's efforts to locate him have proved unsuccessful.

Dr. Rushmore, Dr. Young, and I have extended the math and we believe that Herr Schiller omitted a key component:  a catalyst is necessary. With the right catalyst and the right energy, a portal is, " she looked at the General, then back at the crowd, "plausible. However, the catalyst would not have any of the properties of an element discovered so far on Earth, nor have we been able to pin down its properties.

Like most science, this is only a hypothesis. Our understanding could prove incredibly wrong, and there is much that we cannot explain without firsthand examination of the blast site."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:12, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

 As Ms.Silina explains the concepts of portal technology, the medic moves to aid Arthur. The woman is small but strong enough to guide him back to his chair with her support. The brown haired woman had a simple french braid for her curly hair and a soft demeanor to her eyes, she leans close and says something soothing in his ear that anyone not standing directly by would miss, and lays a gentle hand on his forehead, "calmado"

 The Captain waits until Sil had said her piece and begins again, "my aide will give you all the information you need for embarkation on the Mauretania tomorrow. You'll receive these maps," he holds up a carefully folded map, "once land is reached."

 "Each of you has special gifts," he says with raised eyebrows looking at his water glass on the podium, "that would make most men weep. It's important that you know each other. So that you can utilize these strengths cohesively as a unit, and cover each other's weaknesses. It may seem improper to force you to show the rest of us your natures, but I assure you that this is necessary, but still, I leave it to your discretion if you should decide to come up to demonstrate your abilties to your fellow expedition members. I'll take that as a sign of your willingness to join this endeavor."

 "Before I give the floor to each of you, I also wanted to urge caution against trusting those you find along the way. Your teammates may be the only ones you will be able to trust on this journey. There are doubtless many who would try to do you and our mission harm out of some greedy appetite or another. So keep your wits about you."

 He steps down and takes a seat next to his aide to gather paperwork and distribute the maps and itinerary for the multi-legged journey. "As a precaution, we'll want to keep tabs of this information so please don't take them with you when you leave.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:45, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

Everything happened so fast, that it is only when the large mr. Asar speaks to him that Hiram realises the madness is over, and that he had reacted in the most natural way for him: The moment the beast started rampaging, hiram had flown over the back of his chair and down on the floor, putting as many people and pieces of furniture between himself and the danger.

Getting up of the floor, he takes in Asar's words about Mary Shelley, and more alarmingly so his second muttered sentence. Oddly enough, despite still being afraid, and despite having shown a decidedly cowardly display, he finds himself reassured slightly by the weird calm they all seem to be showing. It only reinforces his belief that they are largely qualified for this sort of thing as opposed to himself, and somehow that helps. Perhaps he can be of use in this obviously monumental happening, without having to be a much better man than he really is.

Giving Asar a low thank you and a grateful, if somewhat shaky smile.
He tries to wrap his head around everything the General and his aide is explaining, but his enthusiasm drains yet again when they mention revealing the group's "gifts".
It's one thing for them to see him as a coward. That is something he owns up to, and at least human. The rest... are things he'd rather forget if he could.

It is no secret to anyone with basic observation skills that the scruffy man is intensely against baring himself like that, as he hunches into himself and a nervous shaking tic shows itself. Mostly he simply tries to seem smaller, perhaps hoping that he will go unnoticed.

Nic almost let out a small chuckle at Ms. Sanderson's words, but instead just hid a smile. Not because he thought her incapable, but that she might perhaps be a bit arrogant to think she would be the overall guiding hand they needed. But for all he knew, she might be, so he held his peace for the moment. I suppose we'll see later if she's 'all hat and no cattle', or something more. She certainly has a high opinion of herself.

He glanced over at one of the other man that had moved quickly, but not towards the creature. He idly wondered if the man was cowardly or very smart.

He stood and walked over towards the man who had stood up, gone pale and then just...stayed standing, and looked...confused? Dazed? Terrified? He placed a gentle hand on Ace's shoulder. "You alright there?"

Soon after, the General was talking again and Nic listened.  He gave a slow nod to the General. "Fine. Sir." It sounded like the slightly-forced politeness of someone who wasn't fond of the military. "I'll go on the expedition. My survival skills, at least, might come in handy."

He was not in a hurry to discuss his...'gifts'...as the General had called them. He shook his head slightly at the idea that everyone picked for the mission had...abilities. That was a scary and sobering thought.

“That...thing! It tried to take over my mind I believe. It was a terrifying experience, but yes, I believe now that I am free, I am hardly any worse for the wear. Thank you.”

Art made sure that he had truly and fully regained his composure before continuing. Walking front and center, Art addresses everyone in the room at once. “To compensate for my poor showing, I think it only fair to reveal my abilities first in order to make recompense.” Art placed a finger to his temple and the notepad that he had left on the table seemed to open up on its own and the pencil beside it began to scribe in the notepad. Telekinesis, the movement of objects merely by thought.”

Art removed his finger from his temple and the pencil laid back down on the table next to the notepad. He gave everyone a moment to take in his display before revealing his second ability. A small shimmer of light encircled Art’s body. “Normally the effects are invisible, but I wanted you to see what was happening. A field of force has surrounded my body like a shield. It provides a level of protection greater than even that of iron, I believe.”

Angok had been about to rush to the aid of man attacked by the strange creature, but was no match for the speed of the large man nearer the front of the room. Shrugging, he turned to Dr. Short, "That man is very fast. That is not normal here, yes?" he asked, and was quickly answered with an affirmative nod. When the general asked everyone to come up to the front, he looked around, noticing a reticence from the others.

With another shrug he started walking purposefully to the front of the room, and once there he turned to the assembled group "I am not from here," he said, without further elaborating on what he meant by 'here.' "I am a hunter by trade, and can withstand the claws of a...I think the term is wolf with little effect. And I can do this," he says as his clothes fall to the floor and where he was standing now hovers a falcon. After a moment, the falcon disappears and is replaced by a grey wolf. Finally the wolf disappears and standing, completely naked and unashamed, is Angok. for a moment he stands there, until his eyes catch something towards the back of the room and he reaches down and begins to pull his pants back on. "Oh, and I have been there," he says as he points to the area of the Tunguska explosion on the picture projected on the wall, "after the explosion."

Sil had taken a seat.  "Exquisite, " she applauded Agent Ace.  "Is there a diminution with distance, similar to physical fields, or do you have a full effect anywhere in range?"

When Angok demonstrated his gifts, Sil sat up. "How does that work?  There is no conservation of mass. Did you see a portal?" Regarding matters of decency, perhaps her eyes stayed focused firmly on his.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:58, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

Ms. Sanderson cleared her throate to gain the attention of the others. ”I have no such bright physical accoutrement to show what I can do. I can hear the way sound bounces off objects, and my mind creates pictures of things the sound touches. I also have a...kind of...intuition about danger. My unconscious mind sees tiny clues I cannot consciously see, and I feel a kind of...buzzing...in the back of my skull. It draws me in the proper direction and increases or decreases with the level of the danger. Physically I am tougher then iron. Bullets will embed themselves in me but do no real damage, at least those of pistols.” She challenged them with her eyes to deny her or claim she was lying. Her fingers wrapped around the hook handle of her umbrella, preparing to back her boasts with it’s rapier edge if necessary,

Nic let out a sigh. People were actually talking about and showing off their...abilities. He had hoped that it wouldn't be a thing they would do. But he couldn't just, in all honestly, say he was a good chap to have in the wilderness when the General said that they all had 'gifts'. And they were supposed to work together, watch each other's backs and whatnot.

When he spoke, his voice was quiet, and he neither got up from his seat, nor looked at anyone. "I was there. Many miles away, of course, or I'd be dead. But the day of the explosion, I was...sort of within visual distance, though that's a broad thing to say. It was visible for...who knows how many miles. Far away but close enough, closer than I'd want to be." He idly scratched the back of his neck and put his hands in his lap. "Something...hit me..." He made a small noise. Bitter amusement? "Knocked me right out, actually." He shook his head.

"I woke up about a month later. And since then..." He seemed hesitant. "I heal faster and...can control, and..." He seemed to search for a word, "...shoot...light."

He didn't look up, his hands were tightly clasped, as if to stop himself from doing something. "I'll give you a small demonstration. Please don't panic."

And all the lights in the room went out. They stayed off just long enough to prove it wasn't a fluke, but came back on but a few seconds later.

Seeing the others talk of their abilities, things Hiram would never expect to see outsider of folklore and legend, he cannot help but cringe a bit. He does not want to speak of his own gifts. They represent the darkest parts og his life, and the less said about them the better.
But these People are going to be his companions on this expedition. Shameful or not, he cannot bear the thought of putting others in danger through ignorance. That'd make him not a coward, but something far less.
So with a deep breath, he picks up after the man Who controls light.
"I... I can eat anything." He stammers "As in, I can ingest anything at All, be it rocks, rubbish or poison, and not only survive with no ill effect but gain nourishment from it. I found this out the Hard way. In a desperate time... furthermore I can mimic the properties of animals. grow gills under water for instance. You could perhaps say I adapt to hardship."

Hiram auses Them, uncertain whether he should mention his last gift, or curse as he considered it. But the door is open, and All must Come out. "I... can also fly into a... rage. A defense mechanism. making me like an animal in mind, feral and violet. but frighteningly strong. I would rather not talk about how it came about." he finishes, his face paling and his now shaking hands quickly shoved into his coat pockets at the memory.

 The General nods to each in turn, his aide taking notes and checking the dossiers. He is doubly amazed at each person's display and is often seen with his mouth agape and seemingly speechless, only to quickly resolve into a wry smile and another nod of encouragement.

 After that the room had descended into a dull roar of several talking groups of staff members conversing about a combination of logistics, possible support avenues and international law hurdles to overcome pertaining to the expedition. When Penny Roberts rejoins the room, she looks disturbed by the incident with the beast, and it casts a shadow over her demeanor. She does her best to hide it but for a few minutes at least, it's plain that it is preoccupying her.

 Beyond that there is little for the group to do but watch slides depicting the legs of their journey which would take them five days to cross the Atlantic on the huge Mauritania ocean liner, four to cross Europe by locomotive train and another six from Moscow to Ilyansky on the new Transiberian Rail, to a small lumber town just past Krasnoyarsk. From there the motor wagon piloted by their porter would take them about 140 km over two days to Vanavara trading post inside the blast zone. The epicenter of the blast would still be 40 km north...they would reach it on the 18th day barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Talk of logistics detailed their spending monies, any accommodations and supplies that could be gleaned on short notice and the possibility of sleeping in tents in Siberian wilderness in December. The gear would have to reflect that. So $106 USD was the figure they came up with to give each of the expedition members. They also adjusted for special requests regarding gear at this stage.
(Worth about $3000 in 2020 adjusted for inflation)

The only support the team would have is a single British zepplin, The Guiding Light. Which in extreme circumstances could be called in to extract the team, but pickup would take four days later from a call on the radio-kit that Mr.Tesla had been commissioned to build over the last month. Reports would signal their progress via the Brits.

To overcome the issue of international borders and treaties, the group would have to get special permission from the Russian diplomatic embassy to disembark on behalf of a foreign government, let alone the nine other countries they would pass through. The red tape would be too much time wasted even for British Intelligence on short notice, so all identification would have to be replaced with new alias and real names not to be used outside the country. To that end each of you should take up a nick or handle for each to use in place of names.

 They go round the room starting with the first to answer...
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:56, Fri 28 Aug 2020.

Asar moves from group to group of those that are making discussions. If he can help with a suggestion, he does, and includes some things they need for the trek. However, between groups he seems to be looking down at the floor a lot missing Penny returning. He still has his journalists notebook and pen, which he uses to jot things down. However, he drops it while on stage at one point.

After Penny does return, it doesn't take long for him to notice her and give her a warm smile. If she responds he will head over to her and ask her if she needs any assistance or a hug.

Earlier

Miss Silina had given a short statement on her abilities. "The main things are that I can project what you might call illusions. I can manipulate sound in a similar fashion. I have a vivid memory of what I see and hear. All I have to do is close my eyes, and I can see an entire world that is interactive -- call it a personal illusion if you like, but it helps me remember and test theories. I've been working on the math I mentioned for the General for the past year. You should know that I'm not very tough and not great in extreme temperatures. I'll be honest--I'm out of my element in Siberia. I will be relying on you."

After

Miss Silina approaches Adam.  "It's quite the crowd here today."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:09, Sat 29 Aug 2020.

Asar:
 Penny ends up bumping into Asar during the meeting and as it adjourns with the promise of everyone to meet at the pier in the morning at the specified meeting place. She takes the opportunity to give him a warm smile and a light touch on the arm as a sign of her friendliness. She is curt and professional however when she disagrees with some of his suggestions, yet she yields to things he says that make sense and seem appropriate.

 "Interesting afternoon I'd say," she replies flatly when some of the people begin to file through the exits yet she hangs back to speak with Asar, "I hope you've enough time to say goodbye to the people you're close to. If you've seen what I've seen then you'd know that you might meet your match out there." She sighs and folds her arms in a moment's contemplation.

---

---

---

Sil Silan:
 Adam watched as a few began to file out, and he turns as Sil approaches to see the bleary eyed look on his face. His fingers brush across his face and to wipe away the sleep that had built up, but he smiles as she approaches, "yeah, it's been an eye opening day I'd say. Oh, I almost forgot, I found something for you."

 He withdraws a piece of paper from his coat pocket in the trifold format, like a letter. When she opens it reads:

Dear Ms.Silina,
 We write to inform you that you are the recipient of our first honorary Masters of Arts in the areas of Linguistics and Cryptography, to formally recognize your level of expertise with matters of such important repercussions for the future. We are interested in speaking to you regarding a teaching position should you be free to pursue such a path in your professional career. Our language arts program would be enhanced by your involvement greatly. In either case, we hope you enjoy the accolades that you so richly deserve and that you are working so hard to attain.

Best Regards,
Alfred Edgar Burton, Dean of Institute
Massachusets Institute of Technology

 Adam smiles as she reads the paper and his smile continues to grow as if he might be unable to contain it. "Martin who keeps watch on your residence got the letter with the morning's mail for you. He set the rest by your door."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:04, Sat 29 Aug 2020.

A somewhat blank expression comes onto Asar's face as he remembers meeting his match in the past. However, it is quickly replaced with a smile and a gleam in his eye.

"Meeting my match certainly may happen, but I am confident that whatever we meet will not be a match for the combined team. I already have some ideas on how we can effectively utilize our abilities in ways that will amplify our effectiveness, at least in theory. I will have to run them by Sil, to let her do calculations. I think there will have to be some experimentation between members of our group to properly gauge effectiveness for her to calculate. I hope we have time and space for such."

He blinks twice when she suggests he needs to say goodbye to anybody. He had assumed she had read his file and knew that he had no one here in America or in Britten. Then again perhaps this was her way of suggesting that he should have someone to say goodbye before he departed. Someone to come back alive to. A slight tilt of the head in her direction, with a slight lean to get closer and he all but whispers, "There is no one here that I am close to yet. However, I would be open to have someone to say goodbye to in the morning."

Nic put in the requests for what he thought might be useful for the travel in Siberia. Since they had the night, he made a quick stop to get some things for himself. He took an hour to write out two letters, which wasn't his strong suit and had several false starts despite him talking through it to himself for a while first.

One was for his friend:



The other for the doctor:


After sending them off, he went to get a bite to eat and a little drinking, but not much. He didn't want to be hungover or out of sorts the next day.

Sil read the letter out loud, then read it again silently to be sure.  "Adam, this is huge! A Masters!  And they want me to teach.  I could work on the syntactical framework for a universal translator. I'm certain one day we'll be able to build one and bring down barriers between nations. I could also meet other scientists, some of the brightest minds in physics and introduce some of my better students from the college and give them opportunities."

She took in his bleary looks.  "Are you getting enough rest? What does the General have you doing?"

Asar:

 Penny's face looked like the clouds had parted, she smirks at Asar as if reading his mind, "I've been waiting for an invitation all afternoon, I read your file but it didn't mention any...entanglements. Honestly I didn't think you'd be so direct, but I wouldn't mind dinner and we can see how we fare..."

 She brushed a lock of hair from her face and gives him a warm, if not entirely blushing grin and a patter of eye lashes for garnish.

Luminary:

 The night passes uneventfully after your letters and dinner. The local drinking establishment, O'Rourke's Spirits, was not crowded on the Wednesday evening and so it was mostly relaxing and contemplative. His sleep however was restful for the most part, though the sliver seems to call out in your dreams to it's brethren...or it could be the whiskey didn't sit well with you.

 Soon you awaken however to the sounds of the city coming to life and the first day of the beginning of your journey.

Sil:

 Adam chuckles when Sil Silan begins plans for the next leg of her career almost immediately. He is a very good natured lad, encouraging in almost every way, it's clear he wants Sil to succeed. "I'm so happy for you, and what a surprise, eh?"

 When she mentions his tired looks he nods whispering, "gangs in the city are vying for territory and power plays right now. We got a tip that a few goons learned about the event and our interest. We've been trying to track down any leads or tails that might be attempting to infiltrate your mission."

 "I'm fine though, it's nothing. Let's go out to celebrate your new prospects!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:08, Mon 31 Aug 2020.

Asar returns the smile and then says, "And I am the one being direct now is it? Well then, I was really hoping that we could have those extra tins of crackers and peanut butter. I know there is not a lot of....special nutrients, but the two pack natural oils, muscle nutrients, and calories that will directly effect the survival of the team if we get stuck in winter. I don't doubt that I could get to civilization just myself, but I a concerned about those less physically fit despite how intelligent or talented they might be. What is that term for getting money when something goes bad and you have made payments...insurance? Call it an insurance policy."

Once they have discussed such minor issues as logistics and set about a final decision he asks her what kind of food she likes and where it can be obtained. Meanwhile, he has been looking about the room taking mental note of where and who people were at various moments in time. Sil seemed exited, but he was more concerned with his future sparing partner Ms. Sanderson. There were so very few woman warriors in his experience, he wondered how her lower center of chi could be used against a tower opponent like himself.

In reply to Sil Silan (msg # 37):

No diminution exactly. Just completely ineffective out of range. Range limit seems to be line of sight. I can move something that I can only see with the aid of a telescope, but I can’t move anything that I can’t see. Not even up close in the dark.”/Purple>

Art listened to the conversations of the others and tried to chime in when he thought of anything helpful. <Purple>“We will have to see just how my force field effects others and maybe set aside some time to practice protection drills.”

Once they were informed that they would need to provide an alias, Art thought about it for a moment. “Lessee. I am Art Adams, what would be wildly different from that? Oh, I got it. How about...”“Jack Kirby!?”

She lifted a brow at the demand for a Nom de Guerrero. ”Ms. Sanderson is my war name, sir. My real shall remain hidden from all, even you.”

 After that the meeting adjourned and the General promised to have the majority of the supplies ready by morning. The small army of accountants available to the Bureau had already begun to calculate the expenditures and had given everyone their checks for the trip.

 The Pier would have the Mauritania ready in the morning...

--- End thread ---