[ QUOTE ]
"Well, do whatever it takes." He was about ready to hang up but then thought of something. "Oh, one more thing, send our guests up to my office when they are well enough to move."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Ms. Brown!!" Edward Pensington looked in her office, but she wasn't there. "Ms. Brown - bother that girl, where - "
"I'm here, Boss, keep your shirt on." Unlike most of the employees, Emily Brown had an American accent.
"Come into my office this instant!" Emily shrugged and followed. Pensington closed the door behind them. "Where is your report? Mr. MacBeth is screaming for it!"
"If Mr. MacBeth wants accurate information in the report, he will have to keep his shirt on too," Emily shot back, but raised a placating hand. "I keep telling you, it's not complete. However, here's what I have so far - can I use this whiteboard?"
At Pensington's nod, she took a marker and began making diagrams. "Let's start with the new Dyne in town."
"I haven't heard of a new form of Superdyne."
"Neither have most people - interesting, huh? Look here - normal 'Dyne is usually produced elsewhere, then funneled through the Family, going through Brickstown and Independence Port, for the most part. From there it is distributed out to these gangs - " She was making a sort of organization chart, with circles connected by lines, "who front through these other gangs... to the consumer... like that."
She flipped over the papers on her clipboard. "Now, the chemical structure of Superdyne looks - sort of like - this..." She drew another series of lines and circles, except this time the circles were labelled with various chemical abbreviations.
"So far so good? Now, the best-known properties of Superdyne, and the reason most people take it, is in the hopes of getting super-powers. Researching is still being done on precisely how it works, but it seems that this chemical arm here," she circled it, "Interacts with basic DNA structure, potentially breaking it down and reforming it - resulting in superpowers if a number of other currently-unknown factors are also at work. It's currently believed that possibly 5 to 7 percent of consumers will develop superpowers. For everyone else... well, it's bad news all the way around."
She erased the whiteboard. "OK, all that was OLD 'Dyne. Here comes the NEW 'Dyne. Ready for this?"
On the top of the whiteboard she drew a circle. "It's coming from Brickstown. We know that much. We also know that it is not being made somewhere else and imported: it's being produced in Brickstown itself, somewhere. So far, no one has found out where. After Brickstown..." From the circle branched a single, dotted line, "... it disappears. There are no pushers, there are no dealers, there is no Family, there are no gangs, there are - apparantly - no consumers."
Pensington looked surprised.
Em grinned. "No, wait - it gets better. Ready for this?" She started drawing more circles on the board. "Not only is the Family NOT involved in the new 'Dyne trade, they are putting their muscle out to be sure that the gangs aren't involved in it either. The gangs - especially the Trolls - want it so bad that there have been a number of reports of gangs raiding warehouses for it behind the Family's back. So far, they haven't been able to catch anyone doing it. You can imagine what will happen once they finally do."
Pensington was looking worried. "Mmm. Go on."
"OK so, remember old 'Dyne here?" She tapped the previous chemical illustration, which she had not erased. "Here's new 'Dyne," she began a second chemical-structure illustration, stopping several times to check her notes.
The second chemical illustration, when it was completed, was far more complex than the original. "OK," she said when she was done, "Notice anything between these two?"
"The new 'Dyne is obviously more complex."
"Oh, is better than that. See this drug?" She tapped the top illustration. "See that drug?" She tapped the bottom illustration. "These two drugs are not related. The terms 'Old Dyne' and 'New Dyne' are a misnomer. This is not a case where someone figured out a new way to get a purer batch of the same drug. This is a case where someone made a completely new drug, then tacked on color," she tapped various short, stubby strings of chemicals, "taste, texture, and consistancy to make it LOOK like 'Dyne." She shook her head. "It isn't. It looks like 'Dyne in the same way that, say, powdered baking soda might look like powdered cocaine."
"Is that really an appropriate analogy?"
"More appropriate than you think," she returned. "This new 'Dyne is potent stuff. Remember a minute ago, how we talked about new 'Dyne giving the subjects in maybe five or seven percent of the user base? Now, we don't have enough live data to confirm it, but the computer guys down in MCT are projecting a forty percent chance of the development of super-powers. This is potent stuff, and it is not a drug that was designed to produce a high, where one of the side-effects is the possibility of super powers. This drug was designed for the specific purpose of genetic deconstruction and reconstruction, with a side effet of a nice buzz. You know what they are calling this variant of 'Dyne on the street?" He shook his head. "They call it 'Russian Roulette.' Half the reason the Family hasn't caught anyone raiding is because this either gives the user super-powers - or they are dead. There are a few reports of survivors with extreme mutations: those are very few and very far between."
Pensington sat back in his chair and exhaled slowly. "I didn't realize it was so serious. No wonder MacBeth was howling for this report."
"But wait, there's more," Em did her best 'informercial' voice, then became serious again. "This is where it gets wierd. See this?" She darkened the outline of one of the circles dramatically. "I won't bore you with its full name, it would take me twenty minutes to finish it. Its abbreviation is TXHTC and it is one of the big workhorses in this chemical compound. That chemical compound has never been successfully reproduced on this planet... not by humans, at any rate. It HAS been found in abundance in Rikti technology, all over their spaceships, all through their weaponry. And it has also, as of two days ago, been found somewhere else."
She flipped to the back of her clipboard. "Forty-eight hours ago, a paranormal encounter report was filed with the PPD. A group of heroes encountered an Eramite in King's Row. It was bigger and meaner than any Eramite ever previously encountered. It took four full groups of heroes to take it down. Five of those heroes are still in the hospital. Two aren't expected to live through the end of the week. One is already in the morgue. And that is with properly-working medical patches and full emergency medical response within ten seconds of transportation." She looked sad for a moment. "At any rate... the Eramite is still undergoing autopsy, so we don't have full information about it at this time. We DO know that it is being given its own classification... they are calling it an Anomolous. We also have a blood report." She tapped the illustration of the new 'Dyne. "It's LOADED with this stuff. Preliminary analysis indicates that it is highly probable this new 'Dyne is a big agent in its transformation: like it was custom-made specifically to make bigger, badder Eramites."
Pensington sat back thoughtfully. "Well that certainly is an interesting report."
"It's all we have so far," she was flipping through the pages on her clipboard again.
"Ready to give it to MacBeth?"
"Oh no way, don't look at me, I don't do reports, I only gather and compile information. If I give this report he will have me out on my ear and I NEED my job, please-and-thank-you."
"He wants accurate information."
"He wants British Discretion, somebody who will sit down and shut up and do what she's told," she came back. "The second he hears me talk, he'll can me."
"I hope not," Pensington replied as he stood up, "Because I have a meeting, and you are my best agent. Go on now!" And he left the office.
[ QUOTE ]
"Well, do whatever it takes." He was about ready to hang up but then thought of something. "Oh, one more thing, send our guests up to my office when they are well enough to move."
[/ QUOTE ]
***
Paul
***
The people from the robotics division arrived very promptly. Paul was moved to his own seperate room, and people moved in and out almost continually. In spite of all efforts, he remained stubbornly unconscious.
***
Experiment 2.0
***
When Experiment woke up, he found he was in a streamlined medical facility. There was a doctor waiting. "There, that's better," he smiled. "I'm glad to say you have a clean bill of health, son. You can leave at any time. However, your presence has been requested by the head of this corporation, once you are well enough to see him."
***
Jack
***
Jack had spent some time seeming to float as his body relentlessly burned the drug out of his system. When he woke, his head felt strangely clear, almost hollow - but it didn't hurt, which was saying a lot. It might start hurting again later, but for now... it was a nice feeling.
There was a nurse at his bedside when he opened his eyes, taking his pulse, and she smiled at him. "Good morning," she told him. "You gave us a scare... but you have recovered all right." She put a number down on her clipboard. "Doc will want to take a look at you, before releasing you... in the meantime, are you accepting visitors?" Her eyes twinkled. "You have one, you know."
Outside his door - which had a window inset in it - he could catch just a glimpse of bright, coppery hair. It seemed that Crystal had recovered, and was waiting for him.
+++
(OOC: Paul's player is off on an important trip, so Paul will be unconscious for a bit, until he returns.))
[ QUOTE ]
"I hope not," Pensington replied as he stood up, "Because I have a meeting, and you are my best agent. Go on now!" And he left the office.
[/ QUOTE ]
Emily always felt like she had the worst luck. She was sent to speak to someone she was almost knew was going to fire her for speaking frankly. Now she found herself wandering what she was certain was the top most floor of the building and muttering to herself. "Where is that damned office? I was told it was the on the top most floor."
"Excuse me miss," came a voice from behind her, causing her to squeak in surprise. "You seem lost. May I help you?"
She turned and saw a tall, lanky man with dirty blode hair wearing a navy buisness suit. "Yes, I'm... looking... for..." He speech slowed as she now noticed the face of the man addressing her. "It's you," she said quietly, half in disdain and half in wonderment.
The man had a puzzled look on his face. "Uh, I'm sorry. But, what's me?"
"You're the one who saved me the day I was supposed to start here." Emily's voice was gaining more confidence and she was sounding more annoyed.
"Um, I did?"
"Yes, and you were an eragant pig of a man! 'Master Wonderful' indeed." She was quite angery now. She didn't care about how obviously strong the "hero," no, the man had been when he'd saved her.
"Miss, I don't think I am who you think I am. Now if you'll just tell me what you are looking for..."
She didn't give him time to finish. "So you can gloat over how you helped me again?! I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of..."
"WHAT, is going on here!?!?" came an extremely annoyed Scottish voice.
"Ah, hello Martin. I was just coming down to check on the status of the Supradine report and found the young woman wandering the hall aimlessly looking for something."
Came DOWN? As in there's another floor above this? Looking for the Supradine report? Oh God, I'm so fired. Suddenly, all the information clicked into place for Emily. "I'm sorry. I had know idea you were... um, well... Uh, here." She handed the stack of papers she'd been carrying.
"Clear part of several unfinished sentances." Connor said with a chuckle. "I assume this is the report I came down here for. I guess we should get up to my office and discuss what all this means..."
"Don't worry, I won't take up much of your time. It seems I'm going to have to pack my stuff up."
"You aren't quiting are you? Or are you thinking that I'm going to fire you? Well, never mind that now. We can discuss what to do about this incident after you explain all this to me."
[ QUOTE ]
"You aren't quiting are you? Or are you thinking that I'm going to fire you? Well, never mind that now. We can discuss what to do about this incident after you explain all this to me."
[/ QUOTE ]
Em couldn't believe she had put her foot in her mouth like that. Then again, she reflected as they rode up in the elevator, she always seemed to go around with one foot or another in her mouth. Or both. She had a sharp tongue and she knew it. Oh well... might as well go out with a bang.
The office was as opulant as she had imagined the CEO's office to be: rich carpeting and windows looking out to the great beyond. There was a conference room adjacent, and it was to this that he took her.
Damn, damn, damn. She needed her job. She had been out of work for a while, and free-lancing - though she loved it - hadn't paid very well. And yet she found a job restrictive: it was very difficult to obtain the information she needed while punching a time clock. Still... there were always worse fates than losing one's job, she mused. And she could always go back to free-lancing and starve for a while. When it came right down to it, ramen noodles were cheap.
"Ahem." She became aware that the CEO was staring at her, and jumped.
"Um... sorry."
If there was one thing that Em hated, it was giving reports to the top brass. It wasn't gathering the information she minded, or casting it into a recognizable shape, but rather the actual giving of them: she was always shy about speaking in front of people. She had, in fact, skillfully avoided giving verbal reports to anyone but Pensington for more than a year... that rat. He had set her up.
"Um... the report. Um. Report. OK." She swallowed nervously. "It was originally supposed to be about the people you brought in this morning. There were four of them: Jack, Crystal, Paul, and a hero registered as Experiment 2.0. As of 20 minutes ago, Crystal had recovered and was awake. Jack was waking up. Paul and Experiment remain unconscious. Robotics is working on Paul. Experiment should be up and about any time now... in fact he may be up now." She thinned her lips: she had intended to call in last thing before she came up, which had of course been interrupted.
"Paul is unconscious but seems to be stable. There are nanites in his bloodstream. They are modifying themselves in response to a massive dose of Russian Roulette - er, sorry. That is the slang term for new 'Dyne which is starting to filter onto the streets. At any rate, Robotics believes that the nanites must have been present in his bloodstream already. He is stable, and doesn't seem to be in any danger, but they are warning that they don't know what the long term effects will be."
She flipped over a page. "Experiment doesn't seem to have received any Russ - erm, any of the new 'Dyne. He did have a mild concussion, but seems to be healing at a phenomenal rate, and was given a clean bill of health. He should be on his way up soon, once the doctors give him a once-over just to be sure he is OK."
She flipped over another page. "Jack got a massive dose of new 'Dyne, about 150% what he should have for his body weight. He's lucky he is not dead - however, he is a mutant, and the theory at Medical is that he was able to expend the excess energy in some fashion. He woke up just before you came down, preliminary reports seem to indicate that he is OK. "
The last page had a yellow sticky on it, and she sighed when she saw it, clearly displeased, but removed the sticky and put it on the inside cover of the manilla folder. "Crystal is alive, awake, and seems to be all right, and no one in Medical can say why. She got the same dose of the new 'Dyne as Jack but she is half his weight, she should have OD'd. They thought at first that she did OD. But she woke up about an hour ago, seemed to be perfectly coherent." She passed over the paper to him, as she had passed over the others. "Doc's worried, she seems to be a mutant, and they think that her powers manifested recently, maybe within the last 24 hours. 'Dyne is bad news introduced into that sort of setup, where the DNA structure may be unstable anyhow... Doc really doesn't like it, but he has no reason to keep her, so he released her. Word is she is waiting to see what the status on the others is. She may or may not be up here to talk to you, she seems pretty upset that Paul is unconscious."
Em fell silent. Though she had given him several papers out of her folder, giving him the exact information had been requested, there was still a half inch of papers that hadn't been touched. When he prompted her, "And?" She gave a tiny jump.
"And.. um... hrm. Well - you probably already know all of this."
"Tell me anyway."
"Tell you anyway. Um. Ok - ok. New 'Dyne - here we go." She removed another yellow sticky note and put it on the inside of the manilla folder. Her voice definitely gained confidence when talking about facts and figured, and lost it when talking to him - she was scared.
"New 'Dyne, also called Russian Roulette." Another sticky note went on the inside of the folder. "Here - this is the chemical makeup of traditional Superdyne, this other illustration," she pushed two papers at him, "is the chemical makeup of Roulette - as you can tell, they are different drugs. Roulette is packaged and disguised to look, taste, and smell like 'Dyne, but it isn't remotely related."
Her voice was gaining some confidence now that she was looking at papers and talking about data. "Long story short, 'Dyne gives maybe 5 or 7 percent of its users super-powers. Predictions are that Roulette will be closer to 40: it either gives you super powers, or you're dead, with not much in between." She pushed more papers at him, so that he could pick them up and look at them. "Even though we know that Roulette is being manufactured in Brickstown, the Family has nothing to do with it, isn't pushing it, doesn't want in on the action, and in fact is looking for the manufacturers to shut them down. So far, they haven't been found. Gangs are fracturing in regards to Roulette usage: Outcasts generally won't touch it, Trolls love it, Hellions want it, jury is still out on the Freakshow and the Skulls." Another sticky note went on the inside of the folder.
More papers came to him across the table. "Roulette's main component is THXTC, a chemical compound that is not found on earth and hasn't successfully been synthesized by humans... not that Crey and a few others haven't tried, mind you." Yet another sticky note went on the inside of the folder. "But it is heavily used in every piece of Rikti technology we've ever found or disassembled. And whoever is making Roulette has a steady supply of the stuff. Needless to say, Crey is itching to find the production facilities - but word on the street is they've come up blank too. There are no dealers, no suppliers, no customers... it just mysteriously ends up in warehouses, where it disappears equally as mysteriously." She looked at the papers and frowned, thinking.
"Aaaaaand?" He prompted, and she jumped.
"Er. And. Um. Yes. Ahem - there's a police report - " Three seperate sticky notes went on the inside of the folder, "About a new kind of Lost being discovered - something called an Anomolous. It put a whole bunch of heroes in the hospital, some of them are still there. Autopsy report will be a few days, but the blood tests are back, and it was loaded with Roulette." She paused, as if she was going to say more, but fell silent.
"You have a lot of yellow sticky notes attached to this report," she heard the prompt, and startled out of her thoughts with a jump.
"Well, there are some things that - don't fit in a report very well," she was blushing now.
"Tell me about them anyway."
She took her sticky notes and started going through them. "The kids - Jack, Paul, and Crystal - go to Paragon University. There was a Vahzilok attack at Paragon University - bunch of scared kids, no deaths, there are some eyewitness reports that put these kids at the heart of the attack." She thinned her lips again and looked through her notes. "There's a professor that works there, one Erik Sanstad by name. He's missing. Furthermore, there have been additional unusual Vahzilok attacks, one of which was at his home. His wife, one Enid Sanstad, and daughter, Cassie Sanstad, are also listed as missing."
More flicking through stickies. "Sanstad was interviewed a few days ago by a reporter, one Steven Harris, mysteriously missing, coincidentally went missing at the same time as Sanstad. In addition there was another Vahzilok attack at Mercy Memorial, and a patient named Amy Harris was taken and is now also listed as missing. "
She looked at the next sticky note for a minute before talking about it. "And... there was another Vahz attack which was... unusual. It's not generally known, but there was a heist reported a few weeks ago at Terra Volta. Some pretty hefty amounts of reactor-grade nuclear material went missing. They found a caved-in tunnel and a few Vahzilok corpses, and nothing else. The Vahzilok have never been seen at Terra Volta before or since. I don't know how that fits in, but that makes the fourth Vahzilok attack which differs drastically from their usual M.O. Three of those attacks have occured within the last forty-eight hours."
Another sticky note got a long look. "As of this month, there have been as many missing person reports in King's Row as were reported at the height of the Rikti war. It's a jump of 100% from the month before, and a jump of 750% from two months ago. People are going missing at a rate to boggle the mind, and no one even knows."
She shook her head as she looked at the sticky note. "But Vahz attacks - the typical sort, I mean, not the four oddball ones - have actually decreased in the last 60 days... at least as far as things like stealing corpses goes."
She sat back in her chair, still looking at the last sticky note. "And I don't know how it all fits together, but I know that it does, and I can't just put in a report that I know that it is all related." She looked up and seemed to see him, as if breaking out of her chain of thought. "Er - sorry - I guess that was a little out of line." She cleared her throat awkwardly and looked at the last note. "At any rate - the hero who has really been on the front lines, as far as tracking down Roulette goes, is a fellow named Small Arms. I have a call in to him, but he hasn't returned it yet... and really, there is no reason he should, but... well I was hoping he could fill in a few gaps."
She sat awkwardly after this. "Um... that's all I have been able to track down so far," she said at last. "The rest of this... it's all just... just stuff." She ran her fingers through her hair, making it frazzle. Her hair looked as if it was frazzled rather often; she looked sort of pretty, with her delicate glasses and intent face, and the sun shining through her hair. "I mean, look at all of this... sewer explosion... missing underground worker team... sewer explosion... cut cable... cut phone lines... missing phone lines, gotta love that one... this is from a soup kitchen on fourth and main, he says that his homeless have stopped showing up for meals... here is an explosion from this morning, it actually penetrated the street... " She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "There is something going on under King's Row. I don't know what. Something..." Her brows were furrowed as she looked at the papers, lost in thought. "Maybe Small Arms will have more on it, I don't know..."
[ QUOTE ]
She sat awkwardly after this. "Um... that's all I have been able to track down so far," she said at last.
[/ QUOTE ]
Connor smiled at the uneasy researcher. "I must say, you've done an excelent job. Based on that alone, I would see no reason to have you fired. And while your insults did sting a little, it felt good hearing someone other than Martin speak their mind, especially since it wasn't about how I run things."
Emily felt a little more at ease. However, she got the feeling that there was a "but" coming on.
"The thing that I need to know right now is what happened in your incounter with this Master Wonderful that lead you to believe that he and I are one in the same?"
The researcher got nervous again. "Um... well... you see... uh... He sorta... um... lost his glasses. Or rather, um, one of my assailants shattered them with a, uh, sledgehammer."
Oh, that incident, Connor thought to himself. God, I'd had the improved glasses back then. He chewed on the tip of his thumb in a contemplating manner.
Emily took note of this pause, fidgited a bit and then finally said, "I mean of course it couldn't have been you. I mean you're to well respec..."
Connor held up a finger to silence her. "Before you continue with that, there's one thing I need to do. Martin, bring the Ms. Brown's professional file."
((OOC note to Jen: Since you created Emily initially, I'll let you fill me in on her background.))
Martin returned with the file in short order. There was an uneasy silence while Connor reviewed the file. Occassionally there a "hmm" or an "I see" uttered by the executive. Finally, he closed the file.
"It seems we have a bit of a problem, Ms. Brown. Even though I don't believe you to be the kind of person to use what you have deduced to gain leverage over me, I am still not comfortable taking that risk. So that leaves me with three options. First, I could have you trasfered to some remote sector of my father's company. Second, I could let you go back to work with only your word that you will not speak of what you know about me to any one with no way to insure that you will change your mind and blow the whole thing. These first two are neither of which attractive to me, while for you, only the second one may only be marginally desirable. So that leaves us with our third option. You are still trasfered, however, you would be transfered to a personal office as well as provided accomidations on this floor. You would answer directly to me and be a part of my personal staff, which only consists of Martin at this point. Part of your duties would be to uses your exceptional skills to aid a superhero in his quest to make the city safer. Oh, and you'd get a decent pay raise. So, while I know you consider Master Wonderful to be exceedingly arrogant, what do you say to my proposal?"
[ QUOTE ]
"It seems we have a bit of a problem, Ms. Brown. Even though I don't believe you to be the kind of person to use what you have deduced to gain leverage over me, I am still not comfortable taking that risk. So that leaves me with three options. First, I could have you transferred to some remote sector of my father's company. Second, I could let you go back to work with only your word that you will not speak of what you know about me to any one with no way to ensure that you will not change your mind and blow the whole thing. These first two are neither of which attractive to me, while for you, only the second one may only be marginally desirable. So that leaves us with our third option. You are still transferred, however, you would be transferred to a personal office as well as provided accomodations on this floor. You would answer directly to me and be a part of my personal staff, which only consists of Martin at this point. Part of your duties would be to uses your exceptional skills to aid a superhero in his quest to make the city safer. Oh, and you'd get a decent pay raise. So, while I know you consider Master Wonderful to be exceedingly arrogant, what do you say to my proposal?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Em sat back and considered. She seemed much more comfortable now that the pretenses were finally being dropped, and studied him appraisingly. "Take your glasses off," she finally said, and when he did so, she studied his face.
"All right," she said, "Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I want in." She sat back. "If I am coming in to this thing, I am coming IN, full-fledged, no holds barred. Not as your personal assistant, not as your secretary, as your partner, and don't tell me you don't need one," she raised her eyebrows as he opened his mouth to protest.
The look on her face was sharp, and her eyes glittered like a raven's when it had spotted a particularly shiny coin. Her file had said, among other things, that, given the proper confidence, she could be quite a fireball - and he was watching it, two feet away.
"Master Wonderful has never had a partner," came the reply.
"And it shows," she shot back, not at all intimidated now, gaining confidence by the moment. "I am not asking to put on spandex and go running around after criminals - I can't even see without my glasses. Besides, I would never be able to coordinate with that pink," she smirked. "But you need to have a radio at all times, and you need a live body on the other end of it. That's the job I want. And I want access to everything about everybody and I want to coordinate any information about anything from anywhere, at my discretion, so that you have the information you need when you are out there." Her eyes were intent as she watched him. "I believe it is called, backup. And unless I have completely misread Martin, he's been at you to get some."
No longer intimidated, she was watching him like a hawk. She knew exactly what she wanted - fireball, indeed!
[ QUOTE ]
"I believe it is called, backup. And unless I have completely misread Martin, he's been at you to get some."
[/ QUOTE ]
Connor laughed, "Well said, Ms. Brown. You are quite right about Martin. He's had his hands full covering for me so we have been unable to use radios effectively. So we are now killing two birds with one stone.
"Now as for your requests, I can live with you being my partner, Lord knows I'd feel more secure with someone monitoring my situation. However, if I put you on the other end of that radio, you are not alloud correct how I'm projecting my 'heroic' persona. I act overconfident for a reason.
"As far as research materials, I'd be giving you the full resouces of the American branch of this company. I can't promise the resouces of the entire company, but my influence doesn't always extend that far. Such things would have to be discussed with my father which only is something only Martin or I could effectively do. Any requests for information from specific departments in this building will have to go through Martin, until we are able to set up a network that will effectively allow full access from a central terminal. Hard copies of all information will still have to go through Martin after the network is in place. You will be allowed to manage that information in any way you deem necissary so long as it only needs to be accessed from either your office and control room. This is part of the reason I'm giving you living quarters on this floor.
"If this is agreeable, and if you don't have any questions, it looks like we have some work to do."
Jack:
[ QUOTE ]
Outside his door - which had a window inset in it - he could catch just a glimpse of bright, coppery hair. It seemed that Crystal had recovered, and was waiting for him.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Crystal"
Jack set up quickly then almost fell down again. His head was clear but he still felt weak.
"Take it easy," the nurse told him.
"Crystal. Are you ok? How did we get here? Where is here?" He asked.
"Mr MacBeth brought you in." The nurse told him as she wrote a few notes on his chart.
"Who?" Jack asked.
[ QUOTE ]
However, if I put you on the other end of that radio, you are not allowed to correct how I'm projecting my 'heroic' persona. I act overconfident for a reason.
[/ QUOTE ]
Em pursed her lips. "With one exception," she insisted. "I don't mind you acting overconfident, but there is a difference between acting overconfident and doing something that is going to get yourself killed. The second I perceive that you are doing something stupid that is going to get you or other people killed, I'm going to squawk. I won't override your final decision, but if it is dangerous, you will hear about it." She watched him carefully.
[ QUOTE ]
"If this is agreeable, and if you don't have any questions, it looks like we have some work to do."
[/ QUOTE ]
"The rest of it is fine... lets get to work," she smiled at him.
[ QUOTE ]
"Mr MacBeth brought you in." The nurse told him as she wrote a few notes on his chart.
"Who?" Jack asked.
[/ QUOTE ]
"The CEO of the American branch of the company that is currently providing your medical attention," smiled the nurse. She went to the door and opened it. "You can come in now," she said to Crystal.
Crystal came in rather timidly from the hallway. Her cheeks were tear-streaked and it looked as if she had been weeping. She looked at him for a moment through reddened eyes.
Then he was drowning in her embrace. She put her arms around him and clung to him like a limpet. "Oh Jack! You're all right! Thank God, thank God, I have been so scared, I have been so scared for you, you have been unconscious, what if you had died, you're like the brother I never had, what would I have done if you had died, I am so glad you are all right, I have been so scared, oh Jack - " And she burst into a storm of sobbing, holding him to her as ferociously as if he was something very precious that she had almost lost.
Jack held her tightly and closed his eyes. He was so happy she was alright. He was reading more into her embrace they what she probable meant.
[ QUOTE ]
"Oh Jack! You're all right! Thank God, thank God, I have been so scared, I have been so scared for you, you have been unconscious, what if you had died, you're like the brother I never had.....
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack opened his eyes and his hold loosened a little. Brother, she thought of him as a brother. He gave a small sigh.
[ QUOTE ]
what would I have done if you had died, I am so glad you are all right, I have been so scared, oh Jack - "
[/ QUOTE ]
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you alright? You had me scared. I thought you had going to OD?" He asked her.
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you alright? You had me scared. I thought you had going to OD?" He asked her.
[/ QUOTE ]
"I'm fine," Crystal sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I thought I was dying but my body - absorbed it or something..." She shook her head. "Doc's worried, he says that whatever mutation I started out with has likely progressed even further but.... but they say I am fine... and I feel fine..."
She shook her head, her eyes brimming. "But Paul's unconscious," she whispered. "And they can't wake him up..."
The look on her face was awful. As if everything good in the world had been extinguished with the light in Paul's closed eyes.
Jack felt anger at hearing Paul's name. He should have been looking after Crystal. She should never have been captured. He was about to start cursing his name but he saw the look on Crystal's face. He didn't want to upset her so he decided to keep his mouth shut on the subject. Instead he tried his best to comfort her.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Jack said even though he didn't really believe it.
Jack got out of the bed and almost fell over. He had to grab the bed post to steady himself. He was wearing a green hospital gown. Seeing his clothes on a near by chair he walked over and picked them up. He gave a look to Crystal. She didn't know what the look meant at first but then realize he wanted her to turn around so he could change. She turned around. Jack turned away from Crystal as well and started to change into his clothes.
"We'll go and check on Paul, then go and see what this Macbeth guy wants. What happened to Pink Boy and Gadget Boy?" He asked.
((OOC: Jack does not yet know that Macbeth and Master Wonderful are the same person))
[ QUOTE ]
"We'll go and check on Paul, then go and see what this Macbeth guy wants. What happened to Pink Boy and Gadget Boy?" He asked.
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal's brow furrowed. "I don't know about Master Wonderful, but he isn't here, and he got us out, so he must be OK.... they told me that Experiment is up and about, but I haven't seen him yet... he must be around somewhere." She turned around when he said it was safe to do so. "I'm sorry about your jacket," she said awkwardly, and he realized - it hadn't come back with them. It was still down there!
She rubbed the back of her neck. "Maybe - we can get it out - before we blow that place up," she said slowly, hoping to comfort him.
((OOC: Jack got his jacket back before they teleported))
"Its ok. Its here. Must have fallen behind the chair." He said he bent down to pick it up. He was happy to see that his clothes had been cleaned and the blood was gone. Luckily it seemed that they had not washed or checked his jacket because it had not got dirty. If they had they would have found the drugs in his jacket and he could have been in a lot of trouble.
They went to check on Paul. After that Jack wanted to find this Macbeth guy. He started storming around the building (with Crystal following) looking for Macbeth. He ignoring the people who told him he was not supposed to be there.
It took a while but he found out where he was. He didn't even bother knocking, he just walked straight in.
"You Macbeth? Why are........... Pink Boy?" He said in surprise.
It had taken almost two hours to pry Crystal away from Paul's side when she saw him, and she was only (and very reluctantly) persuaded to leave him after repeated promises from both Jack and the doctor on duty that Paul was all right, she couldn't do anything for him, and that no one would know anything for hours, and they would call her the moment they even suspected he might be awakening soon. Crystal was heartbroken; her thoughts were all for him.
But eventually she tailed Jack as he stormed around, looking for MacBeth.
[ QUOTE ]
"You Macbeth? Why are........... Pink Boy?" He said in surprise.
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal blinked in surprise. "Oh - I didn't recognize you - without the pink, I mean... do you own all of this?" She looked impressed.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"You Macbeth? Why are........... Pink Boy?" He said in surprise.
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal blinked in surprise. "Oh - I didn't recognize you - without the pink, I mean... do you own all of this?" She looked impressed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Connor gave Jack a sideways glance, "We really need to work on your manners, Jack. Now to answer your question, Crystal, I do own much what you see on this floor, however, I don't exactly own this company. It's actually my father's who runs the overall company from the home office in Scottland. I am, however, the executive in charge of overseeing his American intrests."
Connor lead them out of his office and into the confrence room he'd used previously in his dicussion with his new partner. As they entered the room, the two student noticed that there were already two people, an older man and a young woman, waiting in the room. The older man was just hanging up a phone when he noticed the new arrivals. He turned and nodded at Connor, an answer to some unspoken question. "Before we get begin with the meat and potatoes of the reason for this meeting, I think intoductions are in order. The young woman is my personal researcher, Emily Brown. The rather angry looking older gentleman of there is Martin MacDougal. Martin and Emily, these two students are Jack and Crystal. If you'll each take a seat, we'll begin the meeting as soon as soon as our last two members arrive. Um, in the mean time, is there anything I can get for either of you?"
((OOC: Tag, experiment 2.0, Small Arms, Crystal, and Jack.))
[ QUOTE ]
"If you'll each take a seat, we'll begin the meeting as soon as soon as our last two members arrive. Um, in the mean time, is there anything I can get for either of you?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack put his feet up on the table. "You can start by telling us why we are sitting here playing multi million dollar corporation when the doc still needs rescuing? Have you even thought about sending one of your lakys to check on his family?"
((OOC: Erik is out of town for the moment, so the Vahzilok storyline is effectively on pause. However, I want to do a few non-action-oriented posts to give a greater sense of where the ladies (Penny, Amy, and Enid) are, and what is going on with them, while the menfolk are tooling up and planning. This type of thing is the sort of background/atmosphere post that would be more difficult to do once the plot was moving towards resolution. There might be a couple of these "atmosphere" sorts of posts.... please don't respond to them, as they are not intended to do anything but describe where the characters are. I want to emphasize that the plot is on hold, and nothing will actually happen until Erik returns.))
"Now, Mrs. Sanstad, if you will speak into the camera, we will deliver this videotape to your husband. Just say what we told you to say." The Luminous's voice was somewhat annoyed.
Enid was sitting in the chair facing the camera - not that she had a lot of choice in the matter. Her hands were tied behind her back. "I will do nothing of the sort," she snapped acidly. She knew that the camera was rolling, and was not at all pleased about it.
"Mrs. Sanstad - "
"Don't give me that, 'You'll hurt me,' crap," she spat. "You need me alive, and you'll still need me alive after you make that videotape." Her eyes flashed. "I'm not afraid of you."
"Surely," the Eiledon was clearly trying to be patient, "There must be SOMEthing you wish to say to your husband?"
Enid considered, with her eyes narrowed, and then finally turned to the camera. She looked perfectly composed. "Erik," she said firmly, "breathe." She took a deep breath. This was something that she had taught to her husband, trying to show him how to relax, and release his worry and stress.
"Now then: I'm going to be late. You'll need to fix your own dinner - look in the largest freezer, there should be some enchiladas and beef casserole. And don't forget to put the blue phone in its charger, I don't think I remembered to replace it before I left. And don't worry! Everything will be all right."
She turned and glared at the Eiledon. "Satisfied?" She spat.
"Not what we had requested, but it will do. This way, Mrs. Sanstad..." it ushered her from the room. Enid glowered, but went without comment.
The Eiledon couldn't know the true contents of the message. The largest freezer that the Sanstads owned happened to be the one in the safe room below the basement. And there was only one blue phone in the house - Cassie's toy "Talk to a hero" phone, which she carried everywhere. Several big-named Paragon City heroes had agreed to do recordings for it, so that a child could press the buttons and hear things like, "Hello! This is Statesman! Put in the secret word HERO at my website to unlock the code of the day!" or "Lady Liberty says, reading is fun!"
She just hoped he would put together the clues, and realize that Cassie was in the safe room in the basement. For now, though, she could only grit her teeth, and trust in her husband. Still glowering, she followed the Eiledon from the room.
As Experiment 2.0 awoke, he felt strange... a burning in his chest. He felt his stomach churning, then nothing... Then, with a sudden burst of light, his eyes looked like they were on fire, and he suddenly started to change. A black and Red suit came on him... and power could be felt surging through him. Then, it calmed, and he went back to the normal green hospital clothes. "What... was that?" he asked himself... and he saw his costume on a bar on the wall. After a few minutes, he was walking out of his room with his normal costume on. He looked in different rooms. 2 were empty... and one had one of the students in there. "So... Master Wonderful must be in the next room." he thought to himself... but no, noone was there. "Walking round maybe?"
"My sensors wont work in here." said his PDA that was attached to his suit. "Seems there is too much technology, my sensors are blocked."
"Dont worry bout it, when we get out of here, your programs should work well..." said experiment, choosing his words carefully. His PDA had the power to give him a metal suit... whenever IT wanted. The only problem was, he hadnt perfected it. Right now, it would keep him protected... but it weighed a ton! He had to stand in one spot, and if he was moving at the time, he would fall over. After a few minutes, Experiment found a staircase, and an Elevator... "I dont need any exercise..." he thought, and went in the elevator.
****2 minutes later****
Experiment walked out of the elevator on the top floor, and looked at a big door. "Well... might as well ask where everyone is." he thought to himself, and walked up to the door. *KNOCK* *KNOCK* "Knock knock, anyone there?"
[ QUOTE ]
Jack put his feet up on the table. "You can start by telling us why we are sitting here playing multi million dollar corporation when the doc still needs rescuing? Have you even thought about sending one of your lakys to check on his family?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Connor lifted Jacks feet off the table and dropped the on the floor with a loud thud. "Since you asked so NICEly, I will tell you," the executive said, the sarcasm about the assessment of Jack's questions not lost on any one. "The reason why we are here is because I felt that time would be wasted far more if we had to sort things out with the authorities when the hospital discovered that three college students had dangerous levels of the new version of Dyne. And more time would have been wasted trying to explain to them why one of those students was also covered with blood. Now, as far as checking on Dr. Sanstad's family, only the people in this room and my father are aware of my status as a licenced super hero. For the protection of my workers, as well as for my father's investments, I need to keep them as far from the truth as I can. Asking them to go check on a known superhero's family could be enough to trigger some unneeded epiphanies in the employees."
[ QUOTE ]
Experiment walked out of the elevator on the top floor, and looked at a big door. "Well... might as well ask where everyone is." he thought to himself, and walked up to the door. *KNOCK* *KNOCK* "Knock knock, anyone there?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Connor looked up at the door, "It looks like one of the last people we've been waiting for has just arrived. Martin, could you get the door?"
Jack was not annoyed by having his feet removed from the table. In fact he found Master Wonderful's reaction amusing. Jack enjoyed winding people up and seeing how far he could push them. Plus he had a point, if they had been picked up they would have been in a lot of trouble. Especially Jack since he was covered in blood and had other drugs on him.
"O.k then. What are we gonna do about checking on his family and finding the Doc, Mr Hamlet?" Jack said with a smile as Experiment was shown into the room. He got his Macbeths name wrong on purpose.
Jack had a theory, not a very logical one but it was a theory. If a hero got up set by being called the wrong name (as long as it was nothing too nasty) then they must be concerned more with their own image than the real important matters. But just because he belived it didn't make it true.
He was not going to let on but he was starting to like Master Wonderful, of course that would not stop him using every opportunity he could to annoy the man.
Connor ignored Jack's use of the wrong name. He'd gotten used to the student calling him by some other name, so it didn't phase him in the least. "That is part of what we are all here to discuss. The reason why we are waiting, is because we need all the information we can get before we can formulate an effective plan. The last person we are waiting for is a hero by the name of Small Arms who has been looking for the source of the new Dyne. There have been some recent reports of radiation coming from his last known location, which might indicate that he's learned abit more about what the Vahz have planned. The fact is, as our numbers stand now, we probably don't stand a chance at taking on whatever Dr. Vahzilok is cooking up nor being able to take down all the new breed of Lost so that their Rikti facility can be destroyed. If you have any suggestions on how we can save Sanstad and his family with what little information we have and with the our small numbers, then let's hear them."
[ QUOTE ]
Asking them to go check on a known superhero's family could be enough to trigger some unneeded epiphanies in the employees.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Actually," Em ventured (it seemed the right spot, since they were talking about employees with unneeded ephiphanies) "There is a police report regarding the home of Dr. Erik Sanstad, which is being treated as a crime scene at the moment. It's not too torn up structurally, but there was clearly a fight - there are some dead Vahzilok and it looks like there was an explosion. However, there were no deaths, unless you count the Vahz... I wouldn't, since they start out dead to begin with. Enid and Cassie Sanstad are currently listed as missing."
Conner looked at her in surprise, and that pleased her. Anything less would have been incomplete information, and if there was one thing Em could not stand, it was incomplete information.
((OOC: If by his staff you only mean Martin, then yes, he would be very discrete. For the record, while the other employees of MacBeth Technologies realize their boss seems to be the focus of strange happeings, they are frequently either given bonuses for not asking why they happen or if they ask to often without taking a hint, then they are transfered to the mail room for a time. Only Martin should be written as knowing anything more than that.))
((OOC note2: The vehical is the prototype, if I didn't say so before))
[ QUOTE ]
It was only once they were inside and well on their way to their destination that someone said, "Um... might I inquire as to how your morning went? It seems more... chaotic than usual."
[/ QUOTE ]
Martin coughed a little before speaking to the young man who'd aske the question. "Do ye need to be reminded about the company policy about such questions?"
"Uh, no sir. I'm sorry sir."
Soon the reached the underground garage of the MacBeth Technologies building.
"OK, people, ye know the drill!" Martin was shouting orders while an exhausted Connor went to his private express elevator.
When he got back to his office he sat down and leaned back in his chair. Soon, his retainer and confidant entered. "Now that we have no distractions, would ye mind telling me how ye came to be with those three doped up college students? The hero I can understand, but who are the others?"
"Long story, Martin. Long story." Connor sighed an leaned forward in his chair. "To give it a couple words: the Lost. If you want a few more words, how about I give you: Doctor...Adelbert...Syn..."
Martin stood in shock. "Syn? Then, that must be why..."
"Why my father sent me away? Why he no longer trusts me?" Connor was on his feet now, very irate. "What do you know about all this?"
The older man started pacing infront of his employer's desk. "I know very little. At the time I was just yer father's assistant. If I'd known at that time what was said in that room, I'd have told ye sooner."
"Enough stalling, Martin."
"I'm sorry, it was many years ago, so the details are a little hazy. At some point while ye were in that boarding school, a representative from Crey Biotech came to speak with yer father. As was usually the case, I left yer father's office so as to protect the confidentiality of what I'd originally thought a negotiation for an attempt at a take over. Soon I was seeing various members of yer father's body guard detail entering the room. It was a few days later that ye and yer cousin, Medb, were found several kilometers from the school ye were supposed to be attending. It was after that he decided that neither ye could nae be trusted. Syn, as ye probably know from having met him, was the headmaster of yer school. My guess is that he was highered in an attempt to brain wash ye and so that you would make it easier for Crey to accuire yer father's company."
"But he didn't, did he..."
Martin sighed again. "I honestly wouldn't know. If anything you would."
Their conversation was interupted by Connor's phone ringing. "Hello?"
"This is Sal from the MCT division."
"Yes, how are my guests?"
There was some murmering of the other end of the line. "The students that we picked up with you seem to have been injected with a new version of the drug Supradine."
"A new version of it? How long before they are healed, Sal?"
"Not too long, Mr. MacBeth, at least not for the girl and even less time for one of the young men."
"Wha...What's wrong with the other student I had brought in?" Connor asked, trying despirately to not sound like he was about to panic.
"He seems to have nanites in his blood stream. What's more, their function seems to be changing because of the Supradine in his system. We have him stablized now, but they we are going to need some help from the robotics division."
"Well, do whatever it takes." He was about ready to hang up but then thought of something. "Oh, one more thing, send our guests up to my office when they are well enough to move."