At Star Hair's mention of MIT, Natalia nearly spit out her next shot, and barely caught herself. She was clearly surprised by the mention of the large school.

"It sounds like you suffered a series of unfair things, much like some of us have." she said noncommittally, though it was very obvious to any watching that she 'felt' what the girl was talking about personally, "I'm glad you came out of it in one piece, and better than before!" she finished with a smile. Raising her hand at Moley's next words, she grinned, and responded, "To freedom! Maybe not back home, but here, yes!" she joked, throwing her next shot back with the words.

Then she paused when the other girl popped in and mentioned being made by somebody. She understood mutations, but creations? She glanced her way, and then towards Richard with a questioning glance. Maybe she'd mis-heard her.

As Richard spoke up about their past, Natalia nodded and placed a soft hand on his other shoulder from Brian,

"Could not have done it without you." she reassured him, shifting her third shot glass near her fingertips, though it was obvious she was pacing herself, it was also likely she didn't quite have a handle on the actual pace of the pacing attempt. Turning and smiling at Brian's positivity, she laughed softly, "You are correct. The strong will persevere, and we will be better for it." she said, though her heart wasn't fully in this one. Some of the stuff her and Richard suffered wouldn't go away with time, unfortunately, and it certainly hadn't made them any stronger.

Hearing Schism ask more about specifics about their kidnappings, Natalia raised an eyebrow. She could sense his mind, his feelings and thoughts, and she could tell with his polite reach out that he too could communicate in that way, so she reached out a bit more than perhaps he had...
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:20, Mon 29 Jan.

 Sam heard the kid's name for her Space Rapunzel, she giggled at that, actually Sam thinks her hair can get longer than Rapunzel's, she giggled again to herself.

 Richard told his story, and it sounded dark and painful, luckily her ordeal wasnt that bad. " Well you both got through it together and now you can be your own selves and just go forward from here."

 Sam smiled at nodded at Holey Moley, her hair lifting her drink for her like it was like someone else's hand. Schism spike to Mindhaze, and then she spoke to Sam.

" Yes you could say that, I do believe they were stumped and locking me in with the meteorite wasnt an accident but I will never know the truth since they are probably all dead now. I will also drink to freedom." She raises her blue Hawaiian, and takes a long hard sip, sh really hasn't had too much alcohol since her change.

Head tipping to the side slightly as Natalia reached back against the brush of his thoughts, Schism damped the buzz of energy that shielded his mind to let her in.  "Ah, I am sorry to hear that.  It seems there were many who did not deserve the peace we had before."  He offered aloud for the benefit of those who couldn't unmoor their minds, smile fading into something considerably more somber as he aimed a bit of venom back at those who'd imprisoned and tortured the others.  Glancing between the Freebooters as Sam raised her glass, he lifted his own in turn, the warmth of ginger and rye-whiskey banishing darker thoughts.  "To a building a better future."

Richard gave a tight, small smile to those who espoused sympathy and other feelings towards for his story. That wasn't the point of telling it, though he wouldn't turn that away. Most people thought him dangerous and were afraid to be around him for too long. It was...odd to have anyone besides Natalia want to sit near him without any sidelong glances or fearful positioning. As if covering one's genitals with a hand would stop radiation anyway.

"I'll drink to freedom, sure. Even if it largely takes place hiding in an underground base." He let out a chuckle.

He took a gulp. "But, who knows? Maybe Thinkmaster can do something with the data, maybe we can...cure people one day."

13 herself did not bat an eye at being called kitty girl as it was true in some regards.  She was the embodiment of a kitty tail and all.  Little did she know that there are other names as well for it but frankly she did not care.  She has been listening in on everything but realizes she did not get something to drink although she does not need one she felt left out.  But also knows she should not get alcohol but maybe they have a root beer which was a treat for her.  Even if it is home made.

She runs up to the bar hoping to see what can be done.

Moley nodded to Warhead. “Maybe. We saw the Amazonian possibly cured for at least a little bit and she was extremely powerful. I’m sure it would be easier to apply the process on those without powers. The question is can they be reinfected or would their body fight off the Infection from getting the cure before like a vaccine?”

Even as 13 gets her root beer from the robot bartender, Thinkmaster's glowing face appears on the large and seemingly inactive Tv Screen. "Greetings survivors of the Freebooter sanctuary. Thanks to the efforts of our various operatives, we have expanded the size of our base. New shops, schools, and relaxations areas are available, including a baseball field. In addition, the life-lines are now open again. For those of you who do not remember what those are...(OOC-None of the PC remember)

...they are live video feeds you can use to contact those remaining within the shielded cities above. Please note-your conversations will be monitored for our protection. In addition, anyone you contact on the outside will have agreed to selective memory wipes before making contact. Given the new influx of equipment and goods, these cities have gained vital lifesaving materials to keep going despite being cutoff from the outside world. Know that all of you have made that possible! Your sacrifice living here, working here, allows those above to live protected from the infected! That is all." Her face vanishes from the screen.

The heroes then hear cheers erupting from most of the underground base. The sounds carry a bit, but are quickly hushed. Even as deep underground as they are, the fear of the sound carrying up to the infected was always a concern. Especially from beings like Patient Zero...aka-Alpha Man.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:32, Tue 30 Jan.

Slowly piecing together some of the implications of Richard's words together as his focus split from the task of keeping his signal clear enough for comprehension, Schism's gaze snapped over as Moley made things uncontestably clear.  "You cured her?"  He managed, biting the words off as he tamped down the screech his shock might otherwise demand.  "What in the word did you do?"  Matthias questioned, softening his tone as the sheer potential of the notion began to clarify.  So far as he knew, which would have to be taken with a grain of salt given the tampering their memories had undergone, this was quite literally the first instance of anyone having ever managed to abey the infection after someone had already been claimed.  Even if their process couldn't be adapted for more fragile targets it hinted at that there might be some other means of achieving the same.  As his mind raced down those avenues he came up against some of the things he'd sensed when dealing with the Infected himself.  "Was she coherent?"  The psychic asked, glancing between the members of the other team, his gaze lingering on Mindhaze in particular as he considered what her telepathy might have gleaned.

Thinkmaster's glowing projection interrupted his line of questioning some, earning a frustrated frown as he dredged his memories for any mention of her 'life-lines' and came up blank.  Clearly the rest of the base's populace were quite excited by the prospect, and a curiosity he'd long since buried was roused as the cheers rose around them.  "Do...you think the lines have a directory of who is living above?"

Richard glanced over when Thinkmaster appeared. At first, he stiffened and a frown touched his face. But he quickly relaxed once more, especially the more they spoke. He wondered if that was regarding the people they'd managed to bring with them or not.

He glanced at Schism and then made a 'maybe' gesture with his hands and shrugged. "Maybe? Partially? I dunno." He scratched his chin. "My powers are...radiation-based." That was usually when people gave him looks and scooted away from him or worse. "I deal with various intensities and parts of the spectrum. Thinkmaster had me wear a device to monitor things as I...blasted Infected with my powers." He didn't really like saying that. They used to be people.

"Then...Amazons showed up and things got crazy. Regardless, it gave me an..." He waved one hand around, "a way to like...power up or something and I blasted The Amazonian. It drained me. Like...completely. And she...went down for a while." He looked down at his beer. "When she got up she...looked a bit more...normal? She couldn't talk though. She went after the bad guy, held him off while we saved some people and then took the bad guy to...another...dimension, I guess?" He shook his head. "I dunno. It's all beyond me. Not like I'm a scientist or anything. I know a bit about radiation by necessity, but that's about it."

Most of what was said clearly went way over 13's head.  But one thing she was happy about...she had root beer.

So at that point she continues to watch and listen.  She looks to Sam to see if she is following along abut really at this point she is used to being lost.

 Sam was following along she had some experience with radiation, and also the Cosmic type as well. She turned to 13 who seemed excited to have her root beer. Sam then pondered what they all said and she replied,
" So your powers where able to affect the infection, that is amazing. I was a Astral Physics major at MIT before I went to the facility and got changed, I have studied many forms of radiation."

 Dam turned to 13," You really like root beer, is it you dont like alcohol or you can't drink it right?"

"I have never had alcohol.  My mom's never let me have any either so I don't know."  13 says sipping on her root beer.  "I know food makes me sick to my stomach and have to purge but liquids seem to be fine."

What Schism had said made her pause, and ponder. He seems to have gone through quite a bit of trauma as well, and now Natalia was wondering if perhaps the trauma was necessary for any of their powers... at least in their current states? Richard seemed to gain far more power when he was overloaded, but then it drained him, which scared her a bit. Imagine losing your powers in the middle of a heated combat!

Well, Natalia had never quite liked having 'powers' regardless. She didn't mind, now that she was used to them, but it had never been a particularly enjoyable experience either way. She guessed, right then and there, that she preferred it this way. At least it was useful, and she would never be captured again with her capabilities.


Hearing the Star Hair had studied at MIT, Natalia kept her face from reacting to the information, staying neutral. She didn't want to comment on any of that. Thirteen seemed quiet as well, but she was opening up about how food made her feel, so Natalia was beginning to think she was either a child, or not-human? She couldn't be sure, but it wasn't her business.
This message was last updated by the player at 23:56, Fri 09 Feb.

Richard glanced over at Natalie and sipped at his beer once more. But he mentally, slowly, opened his senses to see what radiation he could sense, especially close at hand among those at the table. Just out of curiosity more than anything else. But he wondered what he might see, if anything, after Star Hair's story.

In reply to Warhead (msg # 124):

Much as he suspected, Star Hair was a blazing light of cosmic radiation. However, it was not spilling out of her. Instead it seemed contained in a form-fitting field around her body and hair.

Richard stopped staring at Star Hair and let the power fade from his sight. He tilted his head at her, "If you don't mind the questions...I am curious." He gestured as if to encompass her fully. "Is the field that holds your energy in from you, something you create and concentrate on? Or is it a suit you wear, that was built for you? Or something else?"

 Sam smiled at 13, " Oh wow you can't eat food at all, how do you get nourishment. I don't need to eat I am sustained by the Cosmic energy I absorbed."

 Sam turned to Richard, she smiled and replied," I am not sure I believe it comes from me subconsciously, I absorbed some of the Cosmic energy, but the rest seems too float around my body but contained. I am not sure how it works but I can my power and abilities from this Cosmic energy."

"Amazing indeed..."  Schism managed after a beat, glancing away as the constant outpouring of his signal deformed around an incoming thought. "I'm sure they'll have a team pouring over the data from your work.  It's an amazing step forward."  He added, head tipping ever so slightly to the side as he shifted through frequencies to find one that would let the transmission through.  The images Mindhaze imparted put everything into a sharper relief, her memories filling in the gaps as they settled in amongst his own.  The sensation was at once alien in the way all shared recollections tended to be, the viewpoint lower, the tempo of the breathing, the rhythm of the heart, and even the feel of the skin shifting across another's bones marking them as 'other,' even without the unique little resonance her telepathy left behind; but it was also so very familiar.  "I suppose now we wait and see what they discover, and help however we can in the meantime."  He noted idly, raising his glass toward Warhead before tossing back the last of his drink while the focus shifted to what other forms of radiation they had on hand.

Blushing slightly, for seemingly no reason, Natalia turned and became suddenly quite busy with something against the wall behind her, organizing and squaring up some of the small napkins in the area.

Richard glanced at Thirteen. "So you don't eat, but you can drink but don't have to?" He then pointed at Star Hair with a nod. "Yeah, I'm with her, what does your body...uh...feed on?

He gave a nod at Star Hair, but he almost looked...maybe disappointed for some reason? Maybe he had hoped for something that could be duplicated for himself. "Ah, interesting. There is certainly a lot of cosmic radiation around you, that's for sure." He shook his head slightly. "I can see it, but it's not a radiation type I deal in myself."

He frowned slightly and glanced sideways at Natalia.

"That is right.  Food makes me feel crappy but drink does not.  Still I will be honest I have no idea what I feed on if anything.  I was told it was part of my design for survival in an apocalyptic world and them trying to perfect the design."  13 says.

 Cindy smiled and the replied," So you were designed and created wow you are biomechanical AI, that is amazing. I wonder in the infection would even work on you 13." Cindy then just realized something, "That name that is the name they gave you right 13, because you where the 13th try at it?"

Brian smiled as the teams seemed to be getting along just fine even finding common ground to talk about. He had a thought when he realized they might be on missions soon. “So Team Starmind, I would like to let you all know that I am adept at creating devices for missions. I have done so for my team on past missions. Depending on the mission and how much time you have available, I might be able to design something to help you if Thinkmaster will allow us to discuss our debriefings before heading out on our missions.”

13 nods and responds, "I think so but I will be honest I have no clue.  I only remember waking up in a tube at some point and being released.  I think that was two years ago but I am not sure as they did not have a way for us to track days and apparently the best way to track is meals and I don't do that either."  She says in response to Sam then listening to Moley although not really having anything to add to that conversation.

Natalia sent a thought Warhead's way, focusing on both conversations at once.