Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 7a Chapter 6 Subject: Re: Re:AAE 7: Feline Questions Was: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 03:40:22 -0700 Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00010014 >On Thu, 12 Apr 2001 02:14:38 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00009974 > > [This is 'worry.'] the feline concludes for herself. > Isis sits, thinking, tail whipping back and forth, in the throes >of a heavy decision. =I can not confirm nor deny that to you,= she >says, finally, > =I would have to speak with this Lord directly. To be convinced >not to alert the 'two-legs' that something dangerous was scouting our >territory.= =As I expected, Lord Fuzzy was overly Optimistic, I will pass your message to Him, and Return as soon as I may with an answer.= The MouseyBeast then attempts to depart, Via a normal looking mouse-hole, Under a nearby piece of furnature. *OOC: Mike check me on this please, This looks like a Trek/Gallifrey crossover Universe, So ambient Magical energies should be, Extremely sparse if present at all, Psi powers and Psi-Tech work, "The Declared" used a TK technique to, Boost their ships up to near 'c' Velocities, The side effects of encountering the the edge of the Galaxy, The Empathic Healer that they met, The Children's Angel... Charlie... Apollo... Basically anything that works from Personal Energies, Or an Identifiable Energy Source.* If Mousey gets away... The MouseyBeast returns 10 Minutes later. =Lord Fuzzy will await your presence, At the fallen tree on {point} that hill at moonrise, Being of a larger Breed than those that, The Two-Legs of this Time and Place, Normally share nests with, He thought that to be the wiser course...= ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 17:44:52 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010015 >On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 21:13:32 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010013 > >> On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 11:50:23 -0700 >> The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010010 >> >> Eric sighs, then straightens. Only now, as he deliberately >>stiffens his stance, would most people realize just how _fluid_ he >>is most of the time. He lets the scowl show, on purpose in this >>case, and it makes an almost invisible scar from the bottom of his >>left eye to the corner of his mouth show luridly. He folds his arms. >> "Better?" > >Zia throws her hands up, in a 'I give up' gesture. "No." She says, >complying with that damnable curse for truth of hers. "Unless you're >planning as appearing as a terrorist or pirate, you've not made your >appearance much more congruent. Should I just shut up? I thought you >wanted honest advice; you did ask _me_." > >She stops abruptly, as it dawns on her. Has she ever told Eric about >that curse? She doesn't make a point of mentioning it too often, >trying to keep it as tight a secret as possible, after all... > >> Another group of people would be getting chills. 8^) > >Zia's immune to that sort of intimidation, it would seem. Or she is >so distracted trying to remember if Eric even knows how he put her >between a rock and a hard place by asking if that was better that she >isn't noticing. Moonstone giggles by now, "Okay, hang on, I think I can sorta fix it. Eric, you know the sort of guy who's been pumping iron since he was able to start playing high school football, who's only had enough self-defense to handle the untrained type of brawler, and most importantly, who's never learned there's always someone tougher than you. That last one's probably going to be tough for you to lose, it's ingrained in martial arts. These are the guys, who when protecting people are standing around with these big, beefy arms folded in front of their chest, in a sort of mountain pose, if you've studied any yoga, y'lnow, feet shoulder width apart, back straight, chin up," She adopts that pose, arms folded, back straight so the chest is out and a bit puffed up, feet shoulder length apart, looking down her nose at anyone shorter or sitting around her, "Then give a slight frown, nothing too intense, like you're being ever-vigilant, watching for anything that might disrupt the shoot or cause harm to your charges. Which you'd deal with by stepping in front of the threat, looking tough and if they tried anything, you'd do nothing more thought-out than rip their arms from their socketrs and beat them with 'em. Well, you can do more than that, but that's the kind of brain power I'm talking about. Similar personalities seem to be the big bouncers at night clubs, Jerry Springer's security guards, hired thugs (though that's a bit of a stretch,) military police in movies. Think strong, silent, and stupid. And I'll be the first to say that'san unfair stereotype, but right now, that's what we're looking for, a stereotypical bodyguard," then with a final glance to Zia, "I think." ================================= Subject: Re: Re:AAE 7: Feline Questions Was: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 17:44:54 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010016 >On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 03:40:22 -0700 >Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00010014 > >=As I expected, > Lord Fuzzy was overly Optimistic, > I will pass your message to Him, and > Return as soon as I may with an answer.= =Very well,= Isis replies. >The MouseyBeast then attempts to depart, > Via a normal looking mouse-hole, > Under a nearby piece of furnature. Isis' tail begins flipping back and forth furiously again. She looks around for any more of the MouseyBeasts or FeatheryBeasts, but doesn't see any. Hopping onto the couch, she sits down and instantly takes the form of a raven haired woman in a silk black minidress, with a silver ribbon around her neck identical to the one she wears as a cat. Taking the ribbon from around her neck, she wraps it around her left wrist and closes her eyes. A small, glowing, polychromatic, lenticular, metallic lense-shaped disc forms in the center of the bands of silvery ribbon about her slender wrist. @Mentor of Arrsia, I seek your advice.@ @Yes, youth, I perceived you might, tell me what has occured.@ @Very well...@ >*OOC: Mike check me on this please, > This looks like a Trek/Gallifrey crossover Universe, OOC: I'd been waiting for a question like this. :> You are in an Assignment: Earth/Lensmen Universe, where Lensmen are assigned planets in pairs, like the Green Lantern Corps are assigned sectors alone, to protect and promote their development into peaceful Civilizations. For this earth, that future Earth would be Star Trekian, but what I only implied earlier was that Star Trek as we know it hadn't ever actually come about. Assignment: Earth, the Star Trek episode, was originally meant to be a pilot for a series. That pilot, sans Trek crew, as well as some of the elements of the Lensmen books, are essentially what make up this universe. The reason Star Trek didn't evolve completely is because of Michael Seven, indirectly at least. > So ambient Magical energies should be, > Extremely sparse if present at all, They are sparse, but existant. I didn't want to strand our mages who manipulate energy outside of themselves exclusively. If there are any. :) > Psi powers and Psi-Tech work, They work very well, yes. > "The Declared" used a TK technique to, > Boost their ships up to near 'c' Velocities, > The side effects of encountering the the edge of the Galaxy, > The Empathic Healer that they met, > The Children's Angel... > Charlie... > Apollo... > Basically anything that works from Personal Energies, > Or an Identifiable Energy Source.* Those will work best, yes, though some effect might be possible from merely external energy. Magic here being an energy undiscovered by science more than a nonexistant thing. The Q for example. Anyway, upshot of this is that Gallifrey isn't actually in this universe, but since this Gallifrey can travel through dimensions, it's not a real issue. End of OOC. >If Mousey gets away... He does. Isis is in cat-form by now, after having conferred with Mentor. >The MouseyBeast returns 10 Minutes later. >=Lord Fuzzy will await your presence, > At the fallen tree on {point} that hill at moonrise, > Being of a larger Breed than those that, > The Two-Legs of this Time and Place, > Normally share nests with, > He thought that to be the wiser course...= =I will meet him there,= the feline replies. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 22:47:31 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010017 >On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 17:44:52 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010015 >Well, you can do more than that, but that's the kind of brain power >I'm talking about. Similar personalities seem to be the big bouncers >at night clubs, Jerry Springer's security guards, hired thugs (though >that's a bit of a stretch,) military police in movies. Think strong, >silent, and stupid. And I'll be the first to say that'san unfair >stereotype, but right now, that's what we're looking for, a >stereotypical bodyguard," then with a final glance to Zia, "I think." "Uhm. Basically, my idea was to have everyone take one glance at him, and conclude 'muscle' or the more colloquial 'no-neck'. Right now, Eric seems much more the real bodyguard, not the one most people expect when thinking of one. He is like those in the second ring of protection around the person under threat; those ones who are not only good enough to be protecting someone, but good enough to simultaneously never be 'made' ... er, seen and known for what they are doing, by any attacked they take out." "Or in other words, he looks good enough our current Black Hat might really conclude he is a threat, which will throw more suspicion onto our group than we wish to attract. If you look like the 'expected' muscle-bound, but dense between the ears bodyguard type, Eric, it's much more likely we'll be overlooked. Better congruency. After all, what modeling agency would need or be smart enough to hire someone as good as you usually are and appear to be? And why would models NEED that much protection? And supposing a model did, famous or something, why would someone as good as you be standing around making himself so obvious when you know better?" "Of course, if the Black Hat is Gallifreyan and new here, too, such minor inconsistencies likely won't matter. But I rarely like to leave any such 'gap' I might fill, because I simply hate "losing" in this sort of combat." ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7: Back at the Ranch-Style house On Sun, 15 Apr 2001 22:39:14 -0500 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010018 >On Thu, 12 Apr 2K1, Richard O' Marro (aka Jim") Said: > > Jim's voice comes over the speakers, "Thank you, we weren't sure >what interpol agents would normally be driving but figured this >looked important enough. naturally I can change the color and design >anytime it's needed for conspicuousness. The interior is maintained >in a dimentional pocket so everyone can fit even if I change into a >volkswagon bug. even certain dragonie posteriors won't have trouble >fitting." he chuckles. (see Roland's post) "Many thanks, Jim, I think," says "Agent Lance", but while a majority of my current appearence is maintained by an image inducer I do still possess my shape-shifting abilities. So shall we just say that my tail is one of the things you don't have to worry about." >> /This message will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, >>Jim./ Roland chuckles. /"Sorry. The whole thing reminds me of a >>Mission: Impossible episode on acid."/ Becoming serious again, he >>holds the door open for his wife. In turn, "Drake" opens the back door for Synthea, then gets in himself followed by "Agent Hunter". would somebody please remind me what the "codename" I made up for Sythea was. I'm blanking at the moment. > "I'm not having any exploding tapes unless you really want one, but >there is a wide selection of 8 tracks you can choose from. Perhaps >Willie Nelson On_The_Road_Again_ is an appropriate selection?" Dhyrclhanc chucks a peanut at the dashboard. > BTW, just for odds and ends information, the interior of Jim >is cream colored corinthian leather, His dash is stocked with all >kinds of state of the art goodies, an AM/FM stereo radio with 8 track >player, a CB radio, clock, compass, a pair of fuzzy dice... alos if >anyone asks Jim for anything it can be formed withing seconds >wherever it'd be most appropriate and easiest to get to. As soon as they get moving, Dhyrclhanc will shut his eyes and concentrate, trying to pull his "satellite-feed" shtick again in an attempt to locate the whereabouts of "Rassilion Khan" again. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Mon, 16 Apr 2001 14:13:54 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010020 >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010000 > >Zia blinks, shakes her head in amusement at the image, then she >smiles. "Well, it was period when Nemo did it. But the more things >change, the more things stay the same. I'll figure out that light >meter, then, while you work." > >She shifts her chair and lets him get busy. "Yes, I might want to >shop later, but I am fairly certain I can trust Rio's eye to bring me >back something flattering enough for this work. Not to mention Sil >and I have some acquaintance." The petite Amberite grins impudently >in the mirror. > >She fiddles with the light meter while holding still for Rob, plainly >she has quite a bit of practice with someone else working on her >while she does something else. Zia's hair, much to Rob's surprise, shapes nicely with nothing more than water and a little brushing. "I'm going for a look slightly ahead of its time here," he comments as he works, "on the view that you're one of the people who sets the fashion." A light dose of hairspray finishes the work. "Unfortunately, we don't have two mirrors here. But I can offer the next best thing." Zia feels a light 'tap' on the outside of her mind. If she accepts the connection, she will find a direct connection to Rob's vision, allowing her to see herself from the outside. There is also a small note included in the connection: *I stole this idea from Christopher Stasheff.* "So, what do you think?" ================================= Subject: Shopping trip On Mon, 16 Apr 2001 15:36:29 -0700 Rio Said As CAoL Message # 00010021 Rio and Mandy, one on each of Roger's arms, take the ferry across the Rhine and head straight for the trendiest shops in St. Goarshausen. Rio is mainly shopping for herself, but if she sees anything that looks like it'd be good for Zia she notifies Sil over the lenslink. OOC: I'm assuming, after various discussions, that the students decided not to deal with the Krugerands and are using plastic and Rio's cash. If it's at all plausible (and Rio can bend probabilities into the occasional knot*) , they'll find some reason to go by the Seiben's apartment building, and maybe even find a reason to hang around that area. It's almost a dead certainty (GM permitting ;-) that they cross paths with Roberta and Mikey, and recognize them without being "made." * OOC: For the sake of scale, Rio has three "dots" in the probability sphere. The Luck Duck had the equivalent of 5 or 6. Rio's is more consciously controlled than Ernie's, though. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Mon, 16 Apr 2001 22:08:31 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010022 >On Mon, 16 Apr 2001 14:13:54 -0700 (PDT) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010020 > >"Unfortunately, we don't have two mirrors here. But I can offer the >next best thing." Zia feels a light 'tap' on the outside of her mind. >If she accepts the connection, she will find a direct connection to >Rob's vision, allowing her to see herself from the outside. There is >also a small note included in the connection: *I stole this idea from >Christopher Stasheff.* Zia easily accepts the connection, she just makes sure her mental isolation is adequate to keep the slightest hint of her link to Nemo completely in secret. >"So, what do you think?" "If I didn't think it might offend you, I'd say you were wasting obvious talents merely being a do-gooder." Zia smiles into the mirror, impressed. "And I know who to ask for help next time I want to dress up for a Court function..." ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7: Picking the shot On Mon, 16 Apr 2001 22:56:48 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010023 >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010022 > >Zia easily accepts the connection, she just makes sure her mental >isolation is adequate to keep the slightest hint of her link to Nemo >completely in secret. This is simpler than it sounds - the link Rob offers is one-way. >"If I didn't think it might offend you, I'd say you were wasting >obvious talents merely being a do-gooder." Zia smiles into the >mirror, impressed. "And I know who to ask for help next time I want >to dress up for a Court function..." "The good Dame has but to ask," Rob says in an Obviously Fake British Accent. "If you do mean that, though, I'll have to schedule a sitting so you can draw a Trump of me." "In any case," Rob adds, pausing to glance at Moonstone, "I believe that the models are ready to go. A little touch-up before the shoot, of course, but first, we'll need a location. So, let's go location hunting." OOC: Just trying to wrap up this thread. Time to focus on finding a location for the photo shoot - or a way to end up knee-deep in doom. Or both. ================================= Subject: AAE7: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 19:44:06 -0700 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00010024 >On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 16:50:52 -0700 >Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010012 > >As far as the infant Michael Seven is concerned this toy is "Bobo", >and "Bobo" never moved. /I'm in place. Roland nods, stops in disgust as he realizes that Aurora can't see him, then remembers that Aurora _can_ see him. 8^) >Roland, in case you are questioned by the authorities, the records >I've created show that you are a Colonel in the super Secret Interpol >Major Crime Prevention (as opposed to investigation) Unit. The >records indicate that you answer ONLY to the Director of Interpol >himself, and there are orders that you and your team be cooperated >with at all costs. You have been head of the SIMCP for 10 years, and >the cases your team have worked on, and the records of the team >itself are documented, and stamped for the director's eyes only. Roland nods again, in approval. [Now if I can just remember who the Director is right now...] >If our opponent seeks these documents out, and suceeds in getting >them, ANY activities that we engage in would be explainable as an >ongoing investigation related to, but separate from, the incident in >Biovalley that Gary Sebien was involved in. Should Gary Sebien get >HIS hands on them, he would come to the same conclusions./ Aurora >reports. /Good work, Aurora. Thanks,/ Roland sends. /I _want_ people around here to be wary, considering how close to the truth we're playing this./ Much earlier... >On Wed, 11 Apr 2001 02:45:29 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00009947 > > Including in that package, should DC want to do it immediately, >a look around the Biovalley complex in question. Which is >essentially, a burned out building on a sizable chunk of empty land. >Notable features including several series of canisters, all broken, >filing cabinets rifled through, a great deal of high-tech medical >equipment for the era, some of it even more high-tech than the era, >but considering the project and the universe, that would be a given, >all damaged beyond repair, with a special emphasis on anything >post-current. In fact, it looks like someone paid special attention >to burning any physical evidence of a scientific nature. Fires in the >wastepaper baskets would lead one to also think that stretched to >scientific documents involving the technique of what had been done >here as well. > This is all, of course, taking into account the police tape and >likely confiscation of just about anything else that would help lead >to a conviction. All the tanks have names, by the way, except for >one, the name there having been violently ripped off. That tank still >holds liquid, a tiny amount, most was lost in the fire and due to >evaporation. *Pull over here, Jim,* Roland sends, pretending to be driving. As the natty BMW pulls over (assuming that Jim doesn't have a prank in mind or something), "Agent Harmon" and crew pile out. (OOC: Mike, feel free to delete this exchange; I only include it because it feels like good comic relief. 8^) A bored security guard looks up from his dogeared copy of "Catch-22" and smiles nastily. Agent Harmon walks up calmly. "Agent Harmon, Interpol," he explains, holding up a badge. "My team and I are here on a follow-up assignment." He waits. As the others start prepping (or walk up, or whatever), they notice their leader start to frown. Agent King falls into place just to the right and behind Agent Harmon. And he's still waiting. "Is there a problem?" "You have a warrant?" the guard asks finally. He slowly begins to put down his book. Agent Harmon's frown deepens. He drops his briefcase on the desk in front of the guard with a loud 'bang' that causes him to levitate out of his seat briefly. He opens the case and pulls out the warrant. The guard's frowning too, now. He goes over the warrant carefully and...v.e.r.y...s.l.o.w.l.y...looking for discrepancies. Morgan, over the link, sounds remarkably like Carrie Fisher. /'Now we find out if those codes are worth the price we paid.'/ "Agent King's" face never changes expression. Roland, oddly, doesn't look amused either. /Out of period, dear./ "Everything _is_ in order," 'Harmon' says, annoyance starting to creep in at this point. "I'll be the judge of that," the guard snaps, peering at Harmon through narrowed eyes. "You think this is some kind of joke?" "No, sir. We at Interpol do not _have_ a sense of humor we are aware of," "Agent King" deadpans, doing what someone 25 years in the future would recognize as a credible Tommy Lee Jones, even if she _is_ speaking German. /And right now neither do I,/ Roland grouses across the link as the guard blinks confusedly at Agent King. "My team has less than 48 hours to find one of the most dangerous criminals alive." Harmon pulls out another paper, one he hoped he wouldn't have to use--the document identifying them as the SIMCP. The guard sneers at it. "Anyone can forge papers." He starts to go over _that_ paper slowly as well. Harmon turns on his heel and walks to the car. He opens the door, pulls out the car phone (deliberately where the guard can see it), and pushes the single button on the box. He then stands outside the car. In English, he begins to 'report' to HQ. "This is Colonel Harmon." The guard pales slightly. "Get me the Director." The guard pales a bit more. "Yes sir, I know, sorry to bother you, but there's an officious idiot here at the Biovalley site who's determined to obstruct the investigation. I need someone to call his superior." Now, the guard's dead white, and is looking at his own phone with trepidation. "No, I doubt he's working for Target Omega, doesn't have the feel. I think he really is just a moron." "You--you're bluffing," the guard says, his hand feeling for the phone since he can't take his eyes off Agent Harmon. "Police don't get phones in cars." Harmon looks at the guard coolly. "Hm. So you _do_ speak English." He turns his attention back to the phone. "Then again, sir, you may be right about him. Thank you, sir. Harmon out." The guard's hand lands on his phone just as it begins to ring. He jerks his hand off of it as if he just touched a live wire. He trembles. "You--you may pass," the guard whispers. Then he picks up the phone--and holds it away from his ear as various inventive German phrases howl out of the earpiece. "Thank you," Agent Harmon says, his voice even once more, as he re-packs his briefcase. "Let's go, team." They enter the site as the guard desperately defends his job. (OOC: Okay, comic relief ended. ;^) /Okay, fan out. I'm not sure what we're looking for, but Rassilon's managed to mask his temporal and psychic signatures, so we need a more mundane way to track him./ Harmon stops at the ruined cylinder wall that once held the nameplate blazoned "Khan Noonian Singh." He shivers slightly, then looks around. "I want a full sweep. If you find a suspicious-looking _dust_mote,_ tag it and bag it." He frowns at the remaining liquid. /No footprints, I'll bet, not after a month. Fingerprints won't do us any good--it's not like we won't recognize him when we find him./ Roland's frown turns into an outright scowl. /Any ideas, people?/ A slow smile spreads across Agent King's face. /Bloodhound./ /Trail's a month cold,/ Roland replies. /Cerberus couldn't follow him now./ /Cerberus didn't get Thorne's Time sense,/ Morgan responds with a faintly audible lupine "huff." There isn't any outward change, but she shifts her olfactory senses to a more wolf-like level, using other abilities to allow the senses to reach back in time. She didn't use the skills she'd gained from the Nephandus' Quickening very often, so it took a little extra concentration. /I love you,/ Roland sends. ================================= Subject: AAE 7: Yyyyyyo! (was: Picking the shot) On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 20:23:38 -0700 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010025 >On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 21:13:32 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010013 > >>On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 11:50:23 -0700 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010010 >> >>>On Thu, 12 Apr 2001 20:00:16 -0700 (PDT) >>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010003 >>> >>>Er, I mean, you look more like the one who is _not seen_ more than >>>one whois meant to be seen so as to intimidate too-friendly male >>>locals. Although I haven't really seen how the tough guys dress >>>here yet. Let's check." >> >> Eric sighs, then straightens. Only now, as he deliberately >>stiffens his stance, would most people realize just how _fluid_ he >>is most of the time. He lets the scowl show, on purpose in this >>case, and it makes an almost invisible scar from the bottom of his >>left eye to the corner of his mouth show luridly. He folds his arms. >> "Better?" > >Zia throws her hands up, in a 'I give up' gesture. "No." She says, >complying with that damnable curse for truth of hers. "Unless you're >planning as appearing as a terrorist or pirate, you've not made your >appearance much more congruent. Should I just shut up? I thought you >wanted honest advice; you did ask _me_." Eric frowns, annoyed at himself. Then he blinks. "Why would I not want honest advice?" He looks confused; he doesn't _remember_ complaining... >She stops abruptly, as it dawns on her. Has she ever told Eric about >that curse? She doesn't make a point of mentioning it too often, >trying to keep it as tight a secret as possible, after all... OOC: To the best of my knowledge, she hasn't told _anyone_ in the CAoL about the Truth Curse IC. Of course, I'm pretty sure that _Nemo_ knows by now... ;^) >> Another group of people would be getting chills. 8^) > >Zia's immune to that sort of intimidation, it would seem. Or she is >so distracted trying to remember if Eric even knows how he put her >between a rock and a hard place by asking if that was better that she >isn't noticing. OOC: Well, I didn't _expect_ her (or anyone else in this room, for that matter) to be. 8^) >> Eric nods. "I would like to know if you are aware of any >>similarity between your powers and that of the 'mages' on my world, >>if it wouldn't be prying." >> /=He learns fast,=/ Mew sends with a giggle. >> Eric sighs (tm Seosaidh)... > >"I don't mind talking about my powers in most respects. But I can >answer that only if I knew what the powers of these so-called 'mages' >of your homeworld were. Want to give me some info?" Finding another >good spot in front of a fountain in a little flowerbed, she tries the >light meter again. Her voice is mildly curious, but somewhat >distracted with her task. Eric nods, going into 'exposition' mode. For the benefit of the rest of the team, he adds the link to the explanation. /"They have the power to alter reality, either through apparent 'coincidence' or more directly. They use various theories, or 'paradigms,' to do so. Though a mage is theoretically capable of anything, they are limited by their training. The vast majority of them channel their gifts through nine 'Spheres' of influence. These are Correspondence--control of space, Entropy--manipulation of probability as well as the obvious, Forces, Life, Mind, Matter, Prime--the fundamental energy of reality, Spirit and Time. A 'coincidence' is easier, but must be just that--coincidence. For example, Rio 'finding' money in that drawer."/ He somehow manages to scowl at Rio through the link without changing physical expression. /"She could also have formed it out of thin air in her hand, but that would have guaranteed gaining some 'Paradox' energy."/ Eric pauses. /"If a mage accumulates too much of this energy, reality literally objects to being altered so much. Sometimes violently."/ >with Rob, I think? It did sound a LOT like Zia's powers... except she >doesn't have a Paradox spirit limiting her. She's 'built that way'... >Grin. Zia, the UnParadox Amberite?> OOC: True, shadow-shifting is without the limits of 'true magick.' On the other hand, from what I've read in both the Amber books and the RPG, Pattern shadow-shifting can't work 'vulgar' effects--no fireballs or turning glass into steel with a wave of the hand. The Logrus can replicate some effects of TK and telepathy with Logrus tendrils, but has limitations of its own, IIRC. 8^) >On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 17:44:52 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010015 > > Moonstone giggles by now, "Okay, hang on, I think I can sorta >fix it. Eric, you know the sort of guy who's been pumping iron since >he was able to start playing high school football, who's only had >enough self-defense to handle the untrained type of brawler, and most >importantly, who's never learned there's always someone tougher than >you. That last one's probably going to be tough for you to lose, it's >ingrained in martial arts. Eric sighs and nods. He's apparently closed his eyes behind his shades, concentrating deeply. >These are the guys, who when protecting people are standing around >with these big, beefy arms folded in front of their chest, in a sort >of mountain pose, if you've studied any yoga, y'lnow, feet shoulder >width apart, back straight, chin up," She adopts that pose, arms >folded, back straight so the chest is out and a bit puffed up, feet >shoulder length apart, looking down her nose at anyone shorter or >sitting around her, "Then give a slight frown, nothing too intense, >like you're being ever-vigilant, watching for anything that might >disrupt the shoot or cause harm to your charges. Eric nods, noting her stance. (Yes, his eyes are still closed.) He hasn't moved yet. >Which you'd deal with by stepping in front of the threat, looking >tough and if they tried anything, you'd do nothing more thought-out >than rip their arms from their socketrs and beat them with 'em. Well, >you can do more than that, but that's the kind of brain power I'm >talking about. Similar personalities seem to be the big bouncers at >night clubs, Jerry Springer's security guards, Eric actually _snickers_ at that. >hired thugs (though that's a bit of a stretch,) military police in >movies. Think strong, silent, and stupid. And I'll be the first to >say that's an unfair stereotype, but right now, that's what we're >looking for, a stereotypical bodyguard," then with a final glance to >Zia, "I think." "I don't know how unfair it is for some, but..." Eric shrugs. >On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 22:47:31 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010017 > >"Uhm. Basically, my idea was to have everyone take one glance at him, >and conclude 'muscle' or the more colloquial 'no-neck'. Right now, >Eric seems much more the real bodyguard, not the one most people >expect when thinking of one. He is like those in the second ring of >protection around the person under threat; those ones who are not >only good enough to be protecting someone, but good enough to >simultaneously never be 'made' ... er, seen and known for what they >are doing, by any attacked they take out." Eric notes this, eyes still closed, and his stance begins to shift again. >"Or in other words, he looks good enough our current Black Hat might >really conclude he is a threat, which will throw more suspicion onto >our group than we wish to attract. If you look like the 'expected' >muscle-bound, but dense between the ears bodyguard type, Eric, it's >much more likely we'll be overlooked. Better congruency. Eric only nods at that. >"Of course, if the Black Hat is Gallifreyan and new here, too, such >minor inconsistencies likely won't matter. But I rarely like to leave >any such 'gap' I might fill, because I simply hate "losing" in this >sort of combat." "Agreed." Finally, Eric swells up his chest with a deep breath, exhales, then shakes himself out and opens his eyes. He crosses his arms again, and his expression changes again, going mostly slack. He looks quite full of himself, his frown seemingly confident, his body still stiffer than usual but with a certain arrogant poise. "Yo. Youse don't wanna be here right now, do yas?" he says in a passable, vaguely Italian accent. Then his stance slackens again, and he shrugs. His face returns to normal. "Rocky isn't for another year yet--I asked Roland's armor--so I figured that Sly Stallone wasn't a bad way to go. Opinions?" ================================= Subject: Re:AAE7: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 03:16:55 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010026 OOC: The GM has had a cold all weekend, so bear with me here, I'll try and dish out everything I remember being asked about. >On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 19:44:06 -0700 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00010024 > > (OOC: Mike, feel free to delete this exchange; I only include it >because it feels like good comic relief. 8^) OOC: Works for me. We'll keep it. >/Cerberus didn't get Thorne's Time sense,/ Morgan responds with a >faintly audible lupine "huff." There isn't any outward change, but >she shifts her olfactory senses to a more wolf-like level, using >other abilities to allow the senses to reach back in time. She didn't >use the skills she'd gained from the Nephandus' Quickening very >often, so it took a little extra concentration. > > /I love you,/ Roland sends. > >trail is fresh. Once she locks on, she can even follow if he got in a >vehicle, but that'll slow them down a bit for her not to lose it.> OOC: Okay, firstly, Dhyrclhanc, there's nothing perceivable along the road between the upper Rhine where Biovalley is and the middle Rhine where St. Goar is in the present time. Now, on to Morgan. Rassilon stepped out of the cylinder, pacing the floor, after ripping the placard off the cylinder. From there, he went through the burnt-out labs, searching for something or other, which he couldn't find. Even by that time someone had done a thorough job destroying the evidence of how to create the genetic supermen, everything else had been gone over with a fine-toothed comb by Interpol and the police, the scents are, in the past, still fairly fresh, making tracking inside the building difficult. Outside, into the parking lot, things thin out and Rassilon becomes clearer as you get away from the building. He heads north about half a mile along a roadway, and encounters a small farm. There he cuts through the field to a clothes line, before moving on to the house itself, right up to the kitchen door. From here, the past smells of sausaged and saurkraut, as well as the identical present day smells, probably, become quite distracting. Not to mention the severe-looking thirtyish woman in the housedress staring at everyone from the doorway, her similarly aged and appearanced husband behind her in bib overalls and t-shirt. "Yes?" the man asks impatiently, a napkin tucked into his collar, "What do you want?" ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7: Yyyyyyo! (was: Picking the shot) On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 06:59:21 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010027 >On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 20:23:38 -0700 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010025 >>On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 21:13:32 -0700 (PDT) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010013 > > Eric frowns, annoyed at himself. Then he blinks. "Why would I not >want honest advice?" He looks confused; he doesn't _remember_ >complaining... > >>She stops abruptly, as it dawns on her. Has she ever told Eric about >>that curse? She doesn't make a point of mentioning it too often, >>trying to keep it as tight a secret as possible, after all... > > OOC: To the best of my knowledge, she hasn't told _anyone_ in the >CAoL about the Truth Curse IC. Of course, I'm pretty sure that _Nemo_ >knows by now... ;^) Nemo I'm _sure_ has both surmised and confirmed it (by way of a deep link Zia agreed to) by now. Likewise, I think the Stardragon folks, Fuzzy, and maybe Mike already are in the know, by either correctly figuring it out. Of course, Mike seemed to know Zia already when she met him, so I'm wondering if that is going to come up this adventure. But as for Eric: Zia shakes her head, then she just sends, stripped rather starkly plain of emotional overtones for her, ^Eric, I carry a curse. I cannot answer a question with less than truth. Except under very strenuous and painful circumstances, I cannot even speak less than sooth exact. Even about future and unknowable events. I am loathe, generally, to explain this to anyone, but I think Nemo knows. Morgan, Fuzzy, and Mike might have some notion of it, as well. I know Titania could sense it. The Blood Curse of an Amberite leaves a strong mark on so-called reality. If you can't imagine why this is problematic for me, as Harlock to tell you the tale of Tomas the True, sometime.^ Zia lets Moonstone take pictures to her heart's content as she and Eric /talk/. > Eric pauses. /"If a mage accumulates too much of this energy, >reality literally objects to being altered so much. Sometimes >violently."/ /My shadowshifts are similar, except I doubt your mages require motion to work their magic. Also, my small effects can be made, by will, cumulative for larger effects. Although I have a Heisenburgish uncertainty - did I change a Shadow so much, or did I merely transport myself into another one, closer to what I sought? Or do I create these Shadows by my shadowshifts 'breaking trail' into them? As the one in motion, I have no way to be certain. I've even found other shadows of the Place, the CAoL, and many of the worlds we've been adventuring on. Nemo always seems to know me and have cognizance, Mike usually does, and with the Stardragon and cronies, who could tell?/ /My sorcery and conjury are actually much stronger in effect, but - because of that strength - I rarely bring them into the fore. I grew out of wanting people to fear me a long time ago. Even so, I have only the spells prepared and not more than half a dozen at any time. I'm not in the cosmic-power weight class; I can, presumably, die. Though Shadow does seem to resist that notion. I have Psyche enough to handle a Lens, but I know Roland is more powerful PK wise. I am strong enough to defend myself, and at a great disadvantage because I would rather defend than attack and hate to kill or destroy. I am.. not more than human, but definitely different than human. Some of my relatives can regenerate lost limbs, and once one recovered from being blinded. I hope I never get the chance to see if I can./ Zia shivers and changes the subject back to listing of powers; she is more than a little uncomfortable disclosing her own weaknesses, even if this is necessary. /Trump and Pattern seem more powerful still, but I do not grok even the tip of their iceberg in applications yet. Trump does require a reach-through if it is a person, though, although just places do not. Oh, and one side of a Trump must be anchored by a Blood, or else it doesn't seem to work./ >>On Sat, 14 Apr 2001 17:44:52 -0400 >>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010015 > Eric actually _snickers_ at that. Zia grins happily for a second. Fortunately, Eric's eyes are still closed. (right?) >>hired thugs (though that's a bit of a stretch,) military police in >>movies. Think strong, silent, and stupid. And I'll be the first to >>say that's an unfair stereotype, but right now, that's what we're >>looking for, a stereotypical bodyguard," then with a final glance to >>Zia, "I think." Zia folds one arm to her breast, and she gives Moonstone a respectful, thespian bow. "Quite well said, Lady Moonstone." > "Agreed." Finally, Eric swells up his chest with a deep breath, >exhales, then shakes himself out and opens his eyes. He crosses his >arms again, and his expression changes again, going mostly slack. He >looks quite full of himself, his frown seemingly confident, his body >still stiffer than usual but with a certain arrogant poise. "Yo. >Youse don't wanna be here right now, do yas?" he says in a passable, >vaguely Italian accent. Zia gamely tries not to dissolve into a giggle-fit. She manages some coughing and some rather odd-sounding noises between a giggle and a hiccup. >Then his stance slackens again, and he shrugs. His face returns to >normal. "Rocky isn't for another year yet--I asked Roland's armor--so >I figured that Sly Stallone wasn't a bad way to go. Opinions?" "Uhhh. Hmmm." Zia pretends her eyes aren't watering from suppressing her mirth. "Sly's accent wasn't that good. That was a great impression physically speaking thouh. Eric, if we had two months work in, you'd be a regular trouper." Ziactrice blinks and then smiles. "This herd of cats, as Roland calls them, would make a most excellent troupe." She catches herself daydreaming and shakes it off. "Um, not like _that_ is the purpose." /Quite suitable, Eric./ ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 21:27:46 -0700 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010028 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00010024 > >>On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 16:50:52 -0700 >>Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010012 >> >>Roland, in case you are questioned by the authorities, the records >>I've created show that you are a Colonel in the super Secret >>Interpol Major Crime Prevention (as opposed to investigation) Unit. >>The records indicate that you answer ONLY to the Director of >>Interpol himself, and there are orders that you and your team be >>cooperated with at all costs. You have been head of the SIMCP for 10 >>years, and the cases your team have worked on, and the records of >>the team itself are documented, and stamped for the director's eyes >>only. > > Roland nods again, in approval. [Now if I can just remember who >the Director is right now...] (OOC: Why do you think I didn't name a name?) > /No footprints, I'll bet, not after a month. Fingerprints won't do >us any good--it's not like we won't recognize him when we find him./ >Roland's frown turns into an outright scowl. /Any ideas, people?/ > >A slow smile spreads across Agent King's face. /Bloodhound./ > > /Trail's a month cold,/ Roland replies. /Cerberus couldn't follow >him now./ /Cerberus wouldn't use scent to follow him, silly./ Aurora chuckles. /OH, you mean Cerberus the Greek guardian of Hades. Sorry./ ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 22:27:40 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010029 >On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 02:49:17 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010006 > >>On Thu, 12 Apr 2001 20:06:13 -0700 (PDT) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010004 >> >>She'll follow the group out, and walk around with Eric and Moonstone >>taking shots here and there. Zia will start shadow-shifting slowly >>(the 'easy way' so as not to make 'bad' side-effects) to make it >>more probably they happen to fall into a situation that serves their >>quest's needs. > > Rob'd actually be taking shots. And he is. Moonstone is a little stiff at first, but she catches on quickly with Rob's direction and a few telepathic calls for advice. > And has Zia's luck worked already or what? It's a "picture- >perfect" morning in St. Goar/St. Goarshausen, the two towns nearest >the Lorelei rock. Rob, Sil, and Moonstone head away from the river, intending to cover as much ground as possible while still looking like a group preparing for a photo shoot. /By the way, do we have anything better to go on than a face? I can't imagine that Rassilon's body is obviously radioactive or anything, but there might be something that makes him stand out from the crowd./ /Not that I mind taking photographs of a beautiful woman posing by a fountain, just that I'd rather do it when the timestreams of several universes aren't at stake./ ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7: Back at the Ranch-Style house On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 23:05:59 -0700 Squee Said As CAoL Message # 00010030 >On Thu, 12 Apr 2001 10:03:40 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00009992 > Roland looks suitably horrified. "Eight...tracks? I remember >seeing one when I was younger...I think...one time when I was >visiting an uncle. > "And if we're going to have travelling music...has Metallica >gotten together yet? Metal was just getting started some time in the >late 70s, but I have no idea when." Jim scans through all the radio signals worldwide, "We're not finding any... here's some Queen though... Good enough?" > "Jim, could you add a 70s-looking car phone? Even if it's a bit >anachronistic, we're 'secret agent' enough to justify it. Especially >considering what we're investigating." Jim starts drawing in air and dust, nanites going to work converting the atoms into molecules he needs. The phone gradually builds itself from the ground up, until there's a perfectly normal looking rotart telephone with four clear buttons along the bottom of the face sitting on the floor between the driver and passenger's sides of the front seat. "We think that should work for your needs... looking normal, but in reality it is able to work with telephone lines by remotely jacking you in to the nearest pole, making any traces end there, also the buttons allow you to change to shortwave radio, television signals, and the last is on the frequency we use to speak telepathically with Nemesis and other living machines..." ================================= Subject: AAE7: Trumped-up charge into the action On Thu, 19 Apr 2001 22:27:18 -0400 "Xander Opal" Said As CAoL Message # 00010034 He'd been hanging around in the Place for a while, Bazil has, since just a few days before Fuzzy's rebirth. With the help of his friend Nemo, and a number of pointers from one Bill Gerrity, the fellow was thus attired in casual jeans, below a pale green, well-fitting shirt, a dark grey vest with a unicorn emblazoned in silver on the back. A card game between himself, Doc, Drink, and a demonic fellow involving convoluted rules, such that each player had a well-worn rulebook at hand. Fortunately, as the Sevens began their distressing time-loop, a hand was through, and he could gracefully bow out. And thus be rather astonished by the rapidness of events that thus unfurled. By the time he could even think of getting a word in edgewise, or offer his assistance, the X-window was vanished. "Ah, well," he said mostly to himself. "I'll just do a little shopping first... and first, the goodwill store, I think..." And with that, he picked up his change for the worth of the empty glass he'd left upon a table, and out into the evening air he went. Some shortish while later, say a good hour, he had his supplies: bell-bottom jeans that pretty much fit, and a loose-fitting shirt of decent taste; his feet adorned by sandals. More, his more feminine aspects were all but gone in size, his upper body movements, though, a tad stiff, as per one with bandages tightly wrapped 'round their torso. Picking a secluded spot behind some shrubbery, he withdrew a beautifully etched metal box from his backpack; from the box, a deck of Tarot cards. Picking one, which oddly enough, resembled Ziatrice, he focused on it. Baz smiles. "Hello, Lady Ziatrice. Would you be so kind as to give me a hand over to where and when you are? I seem to have missed the boat. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7: Trumped-up charge into the action On Fri, 20 Apr 2001 05:00:38 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010035 >On Thu, 19 Apr 2001 22:27:18 -0400 >"Xander Opal" Said As CAoL Message # 00010034 > >Picking a secluded spot behind some shrubbery, he withdrew a >beautifully etched metal box from his backpack; from the box, a deck >of Tarot cards. Picking one, which oddly enough, resembled Ziatrice, >he focused on it. > > >Baz smiles. "Hello, Lady Ziatrice. Would you be so kind as to give me >a hand over to where and when you are? I seem to have missed the >boat. Ziactrice, for reasons which will be disclosed in an upcoming post, is being carried back to the hotel by Eric at the moment. She looks (and feels) slightly exasperated by the Trump call, but at least it doesn't come in at a worse time. She tries not to let the mental contact 'show', but Eric might catch on anyway. @Ah - I'm not really at the center of the action right now, hold on a sec.@ Ziactrice gets out a Trump herself. Even more oddly, this one is a telephone. The box with Roland's action team rings. "Field Team Argyle, this is Agent Ziactrice. I have another agent inbound six, put on your mitt." /Roland, if you would contact Bazil from the Place, he is ready to join up with the group. I think either Aurora or Nemo can give you a direct link the most quickly./ ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7: Back at the Ranch-Style house On Fri, 20 Apr 2001 22:00:37 -0700 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00010038 >On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 23:05:59 -0700 >Squee Said As CAoL Message # 00010030 > >>On Thu, 12 Apr 2001 10:03:40 -0700 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00009992 >> >> Roland looks suitably horrified. "Eight...tracks? I remember >>seeing one when I was younger...I think...one time when I was >>visiting an uncle. >> "And if we're going to have travelling music...has Metallica >>gotten together yet? Metal was just getting started some time in the >>late 70s, but I have no idea when." > > Jim scans through all the radio signals worldwide, "We're not >finding any... here's some Queen though... Good enough?" Roland smiles. "Excellent," Morgan replies in a fair Bill-n-Ted 'surfer' accent "Wrong decade," Roland deadpans. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... On Fri, 20 Apr 2001 22:10:58 -0700 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00010039 >On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 22:27:40 -0700 (PDT) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010029 > >Rob, Sil, and Moonstone head away from the river, intending to cover >as much ground as possible while still looking like a group preparing >for a photo shoot. > >/By the way, do we have anything better to go on than a face? I can't >imagine that Rassilon's body is obviously radioactive or anything, >but there might be something that makes him stand out from the >crowd./ /He's concealing the obvious signatures, temporal and psychic,/ Roland replies as Sil takes up a relaxed position to do the 'bodyguard' thing. (She can't really do the 'obvious muscle' thing, but she could in theory be a martial artist in need of cash.) /Morgan's got a scent, but I don't think that'll help you./ >/Not that I mind taking photographs of a beautiful woman posing by a >fountain, just that I'd rather do it when the timestreams of several >universes aren't at stake./ /Well, he looks like Ricardo Montalban. I imagine he'll get some reactions when he goes by. OTOH, since Star Trek existed in this universe, there'll probably be at least a little 'drift.'/ /Something just occurred to me,/ Morgan says thoughtfully. /This guy's been here for a _month_. Why hasn't he struck yet? I mean, with all the capabilities he's supposed to have, would it really take him _this_long_ to find the Sevens?/ I imagine that, by this point, the Interpol team is driving north again as Morgan "tracks" their target. Roland frowns. /That had occurred to me, but I don't really know what we can do about it. It doesn't make sense that he'd have trouble finding Mike, but nothing else makes sense to me either. Still, we know that Mike's okay, so he hasn't struck yet./ /Maybe he's waiting for something?/ Morgan ponders. /But what?/ Roland replies. /The Enterprise to show up again? The Red Star to burn in the sky? The Muppet Movie?/ Morgan throws him a dirty look... ================================= Subject: Re:AAE7: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 02:52:39 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010040 >>On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 03:16:55 -0400 >>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010026 >> >> Outside, into the parking lot, things thin out and Rassilon >>becomes clearer as you get away from the building. He heads north >>about half a mile along a roadway, and encounters a small farm. >>There he cuts through the field to a clothes line, before moving on >>to the house itself, right up to the kitchen door. From here, the >>past smells of sausaged and saurkraut, as well as the identical >>present day smells, probably, become quite distracting. >> Not to mention the severe-looking thirtyish woman in the >>housedress staring at everyone from the doorway, her similarly aged >>and appearanced husband behind her in bib overalls and t-shirt. >> "Yes?" the man asks impatiently, a napkin tucked into his >>collar, "What do you want?" OOC: Ignore the meeting of the farmers, slight misunderstanding with the tracking method. The trail leads up to the farm house, Rassilon entering the kitchen, taking some food, then the living room, taking a gun hung over the mantle of the fireplace, moving on to the truck parked out front, after blanking the memories of the family who live there. From there, the truck drives the few hundred miles north to the middle Rhine, then the truck is parked in a lot and essentially abandoned. Rassilon moves to a ferry, takes the ferry out to the Lorelei rock, blanking another set of memories for the other passengers (who all return to shore after picking up even more passengers from the island without disembarking as Rassilon had) and vanishes. But, there was some sort of spacial-temporal distortion event on the island after he arrived. and before he vanished, as his trail goes right up to the barrier. ================================= Subject: Re:AAE7: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 05:26:58 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010041 >On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 02:52:39 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010040 > >The trail leads up to the farm house, Rassilon entering the kitchen, >taking some food, then the living room, taking a gun hung over the >mantle of the fireplace, moving on to the truck parked out front, >after blanking the memories of the family who live there. From there, >the truck drives the few hundred miles north to the middle Rhine, >then the truck is parked in a lot and essentially abandoned. Rassilon >moves to a ferry, takes the ferry out to the Lorelei rock, blanking >another set of memories for the other passengers (who all return to >shore after picking up even more passengers from the island without >disembarking as Rassilon had) and vanishes. But, there was some sort >of spacial-temporal distortion event on the island after he arrived. >and before he vanished, as his trail goes right up to the barrier. OOC: Oh yes, this'd be only noticable if you were searching in this sort of fashion, which is why Aurora wouldn't have just bumped into it, I should think. The first event, his entrance into the world, was very brute force, had to be, under the circumstances. This was extremely subtle, only noticeable by essentially being right there with him the moment it happened. There's no barrier there now, by barrier I meant it as the extent of the momentary effect. I say this because I realized it might not have been clear. From the time he set foot on the island to the present time, there's been no ferries to the island, and no people camping there, but there's nothing physically blocking them from doing this, those who'd be normally interested just don't want to do these things right now, seemingly of their own volition, so there's not even a strong psychic barrier steering people away from the island. This should be apparent by ferries that just decide to skip the Lorelei dock as they're cruising by in their routes, swimmers spontaneously deciding the swim's too far, etc, each handled as the situation arises. ================================= Subject: AAE7: Change of position (1 of 2) (was Re: Yyyyyyo!) On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 13:56:01 -0700 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010042 >On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 065921 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00010027 > >>On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 202338 -0700 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010025 >> >>Then his stance slackens again, and he shrugs. His face returns to >>normal. "Rocky isn't for another year yet--I asked Roland's armor-- >>so I figured that Sly Stallone wasn't a bad way to go. Opinions?" > >"Uhhh. Hmmm." Zia pretends her eyes aren't watering from suppressing >her mirth. "Sly's accent wasn't that good. That was a great >impression physically speaking though. Eric, if we had two months >work in, you'd be a regular trouper." Ziactrice blinks and then >smiles. "This herd of cats, as Roland calls them, would make a most >excellent troupe." She catches herself daydreaming and shakes it off. >"Um, not like _that_ is the purpose." > >/Quite suitable, Eric./ /Uhhh, tanks,/ Eric sends in 'the accent.' Zia shakes her head, in mild amusement, and tries to stifle the smile. It winds up just a curvy grin. /Sorry,/ he adds, 'voice' normal once more. /So, what's the plan? I don't like trusting to chance, even if it's being bent our way, but that seems to be our only option for now./ /Well. One woman's meat is another man's sausage./ She quips. /Some of us are rather used to living to a tune of chancy origins. Unless you have a better idea for scouting the area and finding this renegade Timelord?/ Eric shakes his head. /None. It isn't that I don't trust the Boy Scout.../ he sighs. /I just prefer doing things myself./ /Boy Scout?/ Zia asks, puzzled. /Phoenix./ Eric sends an image of Roland in his "Defender" armor, only it's been polished so thoroughly that it gleams almost painfully. (Of course, since it's only a mental image, no pain is actually involved. ;^) The petite brunette chokes on a fit of giggles. /Oh, he isn't THAT bad. And you know it./ She cocks her head thoughtfully. /He is probably more likely to use deadly force than I am, at that. Although never without great provocation. Perhaps I've just had a lot more practice resisting provocations./ /No, but he'd like to be,/ Eric sends, /and that's what worries me./ /You? Worry? Well. Perhaps. But while Roland has his ideals, he has a finely tuned practicality that operates in balance. Unlike some, he can see when he failed is not always pure failure./ Eric raises an eyebrow at her praise of the Freelance Immortal, but lets it drop. /Regardless,/ he finishes, shrugging his reluctance off, /we have a mission to complete. This isn't the first time I've had to play an odd role./ /You do seem practiced at it. Should I be envious?/ Eric chuckles, though it's clearly something he's still getting used to. Ziactrice wonders how long it'll take the coin to drop about what she said about a curse. Perhaps Eric has decided to mull it over a while before speaking about it. Or not to speak about it at all. /Oh, I cannot say that I find him without fault, but he has only the weaknesses of his virtues, as would be expected. After all, most do./ /I've had to be all sorts of odd things on a hunt. Let's see...I 'played' a vampire myself, once, a Malkavian (the loonies) to cover my lack of knowledge./ /I do believe I heard that story./ She says, trying to recollect the details. /Something Rio mentioned, or a book. I can't remember. Playing the insane is a lot of fun. Although usually I'm stuck with an ingenue's role./ /Unfortunately,/ he sends, chuckling embarrassedly, /I resembled a Malkav with a fear of beetles. I had to go into paroxysms when some comedian brought in a bag full of bombardiers./ Zia smiles. /Fear is hard to fake, isn't it? Although I'm sure you played your role very well indeed. You're here./ Eric looks at her, giving her an honest appraisal. "Hrm," he says, returning to normal speech. "I have a hard time seeing you as the 'cliched villain,' but otherwise, I imagine you can play a great many roles." He shrugs. "I was obsessed with succeeding. I suppose I still am." "I strive not to appear villainous around the CAoL. Rather self-defeating, yes?" Eric TRIPS. He doesn't fall on his face, but he stumbles pretty badly. "I...beg your pardon?" Zia is caught so badly by surprise she doesn't manage more than extending a hand towards catching him, but she doesn't make contact."What?" A quick check around convinces her this wasn't some clumsy mental takeover of Eric, or some strange physical attack, but she is plainly puzzled as to his confusion. "Why in Gaia's name would anyone in this bunch think you intended them harm?" Eric looks...stunned. (Overcompensating, perhaps, for ten years of emotionlessness, but his surprise is genuine.) "Well, apparently the Boy Scout had a former girlfriend of my ... uhm, race? That gave him notions. And he had some experience of her family, unhappy experience. Although I think they were never really worried about it THAT much. After all, with the cosmic hitters, even if someone tried, they'd be a grease spot long before anything actually occurred. Not that it was the most... pleasant introduction I've ever had... I should have met the group at the Place, but my homeland was in trouble, and we sort of stumbled into each other." Eric sighs. "Ah. First impressions..." He suddenly looks very, very sad. "...can be very, very mistaken..." "I think I have a knack for ALWAYS making a bad first impression. Or at least, most of the time." Eric smiles, some of the sad still there. "Not always, Lady Ziactrice." "This isn't something you want to talk about, is it? Change of subject, then." He chuckles ironically. "Feeling it hurts. But, I am forced to admit, it is better than the alternative." Zia gives him a smile. "Well. You're the exception to the rule, then. But it's Dame, if you want. I don't usually use it. Being the knight-defender of a strip of pebbled beach seems a little... corny. I have been told that by the Shadow. Er. The hero, not a place. He was a very ... similar sort of person, at that. I never thought of it before." Eric almost manages to keep the chuckle from escaping. "A strip of pebbled beach?" "Yeah. My enfoeffed lands in Amber. A rocky beach. You can't even sun yourself there, unless you like pain. Never let it be said the Elders don't have a sense of humor..." Eric's jaw drops briefly, as her earlier comment sinks in. "You've. Met. The. Shadow." Zia blinks at Eric. "Sure. I meet a lot of characters, the way I travel. Doc Savage was the neatest, I think, so far." Eric looks amazed. "I know this lot has met a lot of 'fictional' characters, but...the Shadow." He shakes his head, smiling, still amazed. "I've never had much use for the spandex set, but Cranston...he was incredible. I even saw the movie when it came out, and that was...after." "His CAR was incredible. He was spooky. Like two different people, but not quite. Honestly. Cranston was the only guy I've ever had firing bullets over my head where I wasn't worried about a stray one hitting me." She ponders that. "I don't know why, exactly, I didn't." She shivers. "But the laugh. That was far scarier than the bullets. If you could bottle that... gads." Eric smiles in understanding. "I'm not surprised. About either part." "Sure, you're NOT. You had a chance to read the books. I didn't even know who he was for a good month. After that, I make the time to keep up on some comics. Geez." Eric winces in sympathy. "Oh." Zia glances at him with a half-curious look. "I do wonder why you suddenly decided to not bottle up your emotions. I ... was rather not prepared, I'm sure you've realized." Eric frowns. "Hrm." He slides the glasses off, and his expression is...intense. She cocks her head at him, and manages to hold on to her curiosity and his gaze both. But then, she has had a lot of practice around intensity, playing Shakespeare. "On that ship that went on...forever...I fought a thing that could only be defeated by faith. By believing. I thought I didn't believe in anything except death any more." She looks surprised. "Wow. That does sound tough." "I was probably more surprised than anyone to discover how wrong I was." "You probably were." She comments slowly, not making the irony too evident that the rest of them likely believed more in him than he himself did. He nods, almost absently. "And, as I've noted, I got what few people ever get to do. I got to say goodbye." The Amberite, nearly an immortal herself, nods at that thought. "After that..." his gaze turns on her, and if he mutes its intensity, that only turns a solar flare into a plasma arc. "...I realized how amazingly stupid I'd been about some things." Zia was caught a little by surprise, and her face flushes. "Everyone has those moments of 'why did I do that?!', Eric." He nods, though it's somewhat reluctant. "It isn't something I'm used to." He regards her carefully, still trying to turn down the 'brightness' on his emotions. "I imagine you can sympathize." "What, doing something stupid? I can see that. You don't seem the stupid type, why would you be used to it?" She watches him regarding her so carefully, and smiles through the blush. "The 'Boy Scout' didn't tell you what sort of psi I am, did he? But, yes, I could sympathize with you on that score quite easily." "Psi? No. I take it," Eric replies, "that I should know about your Talent?" Zia grins, and moves close enough to put an arm around his waist behind his back, unless he makes some motion that says 'no, thank you'. "I'm not that powerful of one, but I'm mostly an empath. Almost exclusively, that is. That's why I use the other tricks more for telepathy; I barely have enough to cover say, a meter, by myself." Eric nods--then blushes brightly enough to do Roland justice. (OOC: BTW, in case it wasn't obvious, he's got a crush on Zia a mile wide. ;^) Zia SMILES. "Gad! I'm glad you do too. Now I don't feel QUITE so foolish for doing it myself." She grins, half-impudent and half-daring him to get her again. (OOC: Yep, she is starting to get the hint. Skin contact REALLY helps, too. :) (OOC: He's also a cauldron of other emotions kept carefully in check, but those should be obvious from context.) "Er...doing...?" Eric asks, not sure what she means but worried that he can make an educated guess. "Blushing, Eric. Just blushing. I'm not one for being too ... blatant. But you might put your arm over my shoulders. Even if not just for the 'act'. Or I suppose I could be blatant, but chances are that'd just push you away more than bring you in, wouldn't it?" Eric looks _stunned._ "Er. Hrm." He puts an arm over one of her shoulders, though he looks somewhat uncomfortable doing it. "I thought...you and Nemo..." "You thought I and Nemo were a matched set? C'mon, Eric. No way I could with Nemo, be more than a passing thing. I don't even UNDERSTAND him, more than else... not to mention, you have to be somewhat equivalent in absolute power to make a good mate. I and Nemo might be happy together once in a while. Nothing wrong with that. But serious? With him? I'm not that looney tunes. I mean, self-confidence is one thing... but cosmic powers are a little beyond me. Even in bed, he had to be phenomenally careful not to... have untoward effect on me." Eric nods, looking thoughtful. The blush has faded, but it's still there. "He just seems so...human, sometimes. Then again, I've known Kindred--vampires--who were nobler than most people." He scowls. "I'm trying to change the subject, aren't I?" "Oh. Uhm. Yes..." She winces at that. Usually she can make a 'truthful answer' sound more natural than that. "It's okay, Eric. You may change the subject if you like, really." Eric shakes his head almost violently. "No. I swore to myself once that I'd always be honest with myself. Even before self-deception could have been terminal, I didn't want to live with a hypocrite in my head." Eric looks at her. "But first, I need to be honest with you." His gaze is, if anything, more intense than ever. Zia cocks her head. "Very well. I was just trying to be polite." She nods at a park bench, and directs their arm-in-arm stroll towards it. He follows her lead with reasonable grace, and waits until they sit to continue. TBC.... ================================= Subject: AAE7: Change of position (2 of 2) On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 13:56:24 -0700 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00010043 (Continuing from part 1...) Zia cocks her head. "Very well. I was just trying to be polite." She nods at a park bench, and directs their arm-in-arm stroll towards it. He follows her lead with reasonable grace, and waits until they sit to continue. She turns a bit, to make it easier to talk, but keeps her leg close enough to touch his, wanting the skin contact to try and make sure this doesn't go badly. Eric politely fails to notice that little trick. "First, to myself." Eric sighs deeply, carefully modulating his voice to keep the conversation between them. "I am a killer. I take it upon myself--regularly--to be judge, jury and executioner. Most nations on my world would put me to death several times over for my body count, except of course that no evidence is remotely available." Zia listens with the perfect attention and stillness that is really the only apparent clue to her mastery of the Zen arts. "I do not kill indiscriminately, of course. The Shih could easily be wiped out by the demons, even if we didn't recognize that they have their place in creation, as do we all." She nods, agreeing with that point. He looks at his hands. "The point is, I'm 'no prize,' as the saying goes. Especially for an empath," he mutters, the thought apparently just having occurred to him. Then he smiles at her. Eric being shy seems to make reality want to crack or something. 8^) Zia half-crinkles a smile/grimace. "I won't stop you from talking yourself out of it, you know. If you think you're no prize, just ask the Boy Scout to explain to you what Amberites really are." She can't stop the smile back at that shyness, mind-boggling as it might be, it's more than a little fascinating to see the 'real' Eric under his pose. Eric FROWNS. "I've known gentle demons and 'angel-gods' that needed killing. Roland can, quite literally, go to Hell." A tiny, deep crimson flame flickers behind his head as he says that last word--which may explain why he's so reluctant to use 'foul' language. THAT got a double take from Zia. Eric has his own inherent SFX crew? Goodness. No...he's just been in a few Hells. Chinese ones exclusively, but it looks like he left a little bit of himself behind... Zia snorts, still smiling. "Hey, easy there. That was in the line of 'fair warning'. Lots of people assume I'm human, even when they 'know better'. I just didn't want... er, I didn't want a bad scene.. pun unintended." Eric does chuckle at that, though he pats his pockets looking for a peanut. "First time in ten years I haven't been armed with the right weapon..." Zia laughs softly at that. "You know, now that you mention it, I have that effect commonly, too. It's amazing how many folks forget to load the day they'll wind up shooting at me. But then, I like being in a universe that loves me." She throws him a daring smile on that phrase, just to see what he does. His chuckle melts into a gentle laugh. A real, genuine laugh. His 'real' laugh is quiet, a sort of amused acceptance of the fundamental weirdness of the universe. Eric's laugh fades. The intensity, if anything, turns up. "I can sympathize with it." Her 'secret' delight at that real laugh for a change might even be enough to project an echo back into even Eric's mind, unpracticed psi as he is (on that part, I think he is ...) "I do like sympathetic gentlemen." She confides, and scoots a mite closer, and puts her arm over HIS shoulders - only possible when he is seated, given her own lack of inches. "I am trying, very hard, not to put you on a pedestal, Dame Ziactrice." He closes his eyes, obviously trying to get this part right. "And you are all lady, whatever perverse sense of humor your 'Elders' might have." Zia laughs, delighted. "Ooooo, are you in for SUCH a shock. I used to be snow white, but I've drifted." Eric chuckles at that, too. "I used to be Prince Charming, but I'm afraid the spell wore off." "Well." She gives him a sideglance. "What else would you like to rub off on you, to replace it, then?" Invitingly. Eric raises an eyebrow. "Hrm. Let's see, how did he say it in that movie...'direct, aren't you?'" "Not yet. THIS is direct." She leans over and up slightly, and kisses him. Not timidly. But with a great deal of feeling. Eric boggles for a moment, then returns the kiss. I imagine that Zia would think what a waste it is that he hasn't done this in ten years. She makes a low, delighted noise, somewhat into his mouth given the kiss still going on, and just shifts on one leg until she is sitting in his lap, and puts the other arm over her own, both over his shoulders. Later, once they've mutually finished, she just gives him a glimmering eyed look. "See?" Could she be short of breath? "That is direct. Now you know the difference." The Hunter nods, most definitely turned into prey this time. "Ah. I see." He looks into her eyes again, and he's shifting back into his more traditional role. "I've been told I'm a quick study. How's this?" And _he_ kisses _her._ Quite thoroughly. Not quite up to V.M. Smith's level, but impressively close. Ziactrice was actually surprised enough she mostly lets him, just staying 'in' the kiss enough to make it nice and ... interesting. She stares at him several seconds before remembering to say anything this time. So it must have been close indeed. Few things anywhere in Shadow can keep Zia quiet, at all. (OOC: lol) Eric takes a deep breath after that. "My. I'm rather out of practice." "Nnno." She gets control quickly, but _Zia's_ voice wavering with emotion is odd enough to draw his attention. "You're not. Or if you are, not by much. There is little room for any improvements at all." Eric 'bows' shyly. "Arigato. But I should have been able to get through another minute. I'm afraid my emotions got the better of me." Her eyebrow bounces once. "Afraid?" He smiles a touch wickedly. "Actually, no, I suppose there's not much fear involved." "Domo, by the way." She thinks a moment, studying him. It starts to cloud up. "It's going to rain pretty hard in about twenty three minutes. Just enough time to get to the hotel, if a bit wet when we arrive. I'll let you... practice, some more... on one little condition, if I may?" "As you wish." He sounds amazingly like Cary Elwes as he says it. ;^) She SMILES... of course, she would get quotes. "You have to do it horizontally. Preferably on a bed. And if my instincts get the better of me, I hope you'll understand, being such a nice gentleman and all..." Eric sighs very deeply. "I don't suppose," he says, his voice a bit shaky, "you'll take a forty-nine hour 'rain check' on that?" Zia smiles, gently. "Of course I would, if you wanted it so. You might, after all, be too uncomfortable while on duty to enjoy it as much. And while I might make bad first impressions.... I've never wanted to do so in bed." Eric GULPS. "Er. Hrm. It isn't that. At all. Remotely. It would just be...inappropriate...given that we might be needed on short notice. I wouldn't want to be caught, ah, 'en flagrante' should need arise." "Sure. I like fighting naked. But then... it does tend to destroy the other sides coordination, if they're human." She grins. "And I'm not an exhibitionist otherwise. Strange, huh?" Eric becomes thoughtful. "Hrm. Never thought of it that way...And if we're needed _that_ quickly, we wouldn't be much help anyway..." Zia glances up at the gathering clouds, frowns, and waves her hand. Almost visibly, the gathering haze seems to start breaking up again. "_I_ learned not to use logic to argue with a man, especially one I like and am quite interested in, a LONG time ago." She grins, scoots her butt off his lap and down the bench, then reclines her head back into his lap and gazes up at him. "This way you can keep watch better." She assures him... like THAT was why she did it. Sure. He scowls at himself rather thoroughly. "Amazing how quickly the testosterone reasserts itself..." He shrugs, knowing when to give up a battle for lost (and 'cooperate with the inevitable,' to quote Mr. Harshaw), and VERY gently slides Zia's head off his lap. He then slides his arms under her and scoops her up (using his chi powers to gain the necessary strength if the cyber-enhancements make her too heavy for a normal human to lift ;^). Zia look concerned, because he didn't know about her 'weight factor', then he manages just fine anyways. She gives him a faintly astonished look. "You're durn smooth for being 'out of practice'. Has your sister been tutoring you on the side?" "I was well-trained." He grins at her. "Ack! Not THAT way." She says, appalled. "Not by my sister, no." His grin becomes a touch...saucy. "Hmmm. You're tempting my curiosity ALMOST as much as a quite different desire." "Julie was...creative." "Anyone who means that much to you must have been good." "Now then." He hoists her, letting her bounce ever so slightly as he settles her into his arms. Zia laughs as being 'joggled' playfully by _Eric_ of all people... "I think we've _both_ spent enough time in the past for one day." Considering THIS adventure, THAT is enough to make Zia dissolve in a giggle fit. "You're seriously going to attempt carrying me all the way back?!?" He starts walking down the sidewalk quite calmly, Zia still in his arms. (Of course, with her empathy, she knows full well that if she wants down, she _gets_ down.) "Attempt? Like Yoda, my beautiful Dame lady, I do not try--I do." "Just as long as you don't wear yourself out just getting there. That's MY job... For after we arrive, no less." Eric nods, smiling at her with confidence. Just to show off, he whips his arm around to his pocket, puts his sunglasses on, and returns it to her--all without ever jostling her. "I think my master would be appalled at that 'waste' of chi use." He considers. "Funny...at the moment, I find myself not caring over much." Zia smiles knowingly. "Not a problem. I happen to know enough about chi to ... ah, to make some delightful activities mutually quite beneficial. Although your master MUST have taught you that, as well. It's too important to be left out." "Do you mean stamina? Oh, yes. Even without actual chi expenditure, my endurance is technically super-human." he smiles. "Or did you have something else in mind?" Zia gives him a serious look, curious. "Have you ever shared chi when making love, Eric? It... is pretty .. hah. Omigoodness. He didn't teach you that?!?" Eric blinks. "Transferring chi is a fairly standard, early lesson. But I haven't made love since...Julie. I've done, er, other things, in the line of duty, but that's all." Zia SHAKES her head. "This is going to be even more fun than I'd supposed." She SMILES, that secretive woman's one, and just leans her head back on his chest, still grinning madly. (OOC-R: And we draw a veil over our two heroes, which will be lifted in the Risque Room... ;^) ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 13:31:47 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010044 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00010039 > >/Maybe he's waiting for something?/ Morgan ponders. > > /But what?/ Roland replies. /The Enterprise to show up again? The >Red Star to burn in the sky? The Muppet Movie?/ Morgan throws him a >dirty look... [Good questions,] Rob muses. As he waves Moonstone over to another tree, he considers the oddity. [There must be something worth waiting for...] /People? Is there anybody who has a good idea on what will happen if Michael dies at this point in his timeline? If I remember correctly, Mike managed to 'get better' after getting killed at one point in the comics. But is that something he's born with?/ ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... On Sun, 22 Apr 2001 16:31:47 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010045 >On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 13:31:47 -0700 (PDT) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010044 > >/People? Is there anybody who has a good idea on what will happen if >Michael dies at this point in his timeline? If I remember correctly, >Mike managed to 'get better' after getting killed at one point in the >comics. But is that something he's born with?/ Aurora can see he can't as he smacks her on the head and chews on her nose. Also, now that she knows where to focus her attention, she can see there is something on the Lorelei Rock, a new castle, but obscured to the view of those with less then Arisian minds, though to perceive it, even she has to only take passing glances so as not to alert the mind behind its defenses. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... On Sun, 22 Apr 2001 20:39:13 -0700 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010046 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010045 > > Aurora can see he can't as he smacks her on the head and chews >on her nose. Also, now that she knows where to focus her attention, >she can see there is something on the Lorelei Rock, a new castle, but >obscured to the view of those with less then Arisian minds, though to >perceive it, even she has to only take passing glances so as not to >alert the mind behind its defenses. /At this point in time, I don't detect any ablity of the child to 'survive' being killed. Should our opponent succeed in killing him, it would take some serious external intervention for him to 'survive'. As to our opponent, I sense a powerful mind on the island where Morgan 'lost' the scent. There is also a field, not unlike a zone of control, that is preventing 'normal' humans from approaching the Lorelei Rock. I suspect our enemy is in the new castle on that island./ Aurora reports. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... (longish) On Mon, 23 Apr 2001 11:18:44 -0400 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010047 Sorry that I haven't been posting lately. Spring must officially be here 'cuz I'm suffering from one of the worst bouts of "Hay Fever" that I can remember, albeit that my memory isn't all that good. It doesn't help that my head was in a bad place over the weekend. But, I'm back, so to speak, and once again I find myself trying to catch-up with everyone else. Oh well, at least I'm consistant... >On Sun, 22 Apr 2K1 Dane Said > >>Mike Knight Said >> >>>Rob N Said >>> >>>>Morgan and/or Roland Said >>>> >>>>/Something just occurred to me,/ Morgan says thoughtfully. /This >>>>guy's been here for a _month_. Why hasn't he struck yet? I mean, >>>>with all the capabilities he's supposed to have, would it really >>>>take him _this_long_ to find the Sevens?/ I imagine that, by this >>>>point, the Interpol team is driving north again as Morgan "tracks" >>>>their target. /To my knowledge/ adds "Drake", /There has only been two other instances of a Galefreian Time-Lord possessing the body of another humaniod species, and both times it was The Master, the Doctor's opposite number. In neither case, did the host body possess the abilities, or capabilities, of the orginal Galifreyian body./ /Then again, this *is* _Rassilion_. The one individual who is responsible for three-quarters to two-thirds of _everything_ which defines the Galifreian Time-Lords, as we know them./ /However, it would be interesting to know exactly *how* the divergent alterverse developed (which the Doctor described to us) that includes the, even more corrupt than the standard, Time-Lords that used the adult Micheal Seven/ KnightShift/Knytt as their pawn./ >>>>/Maybe he's waiting for something?/ Morgan ponders. >>>> >>>> /But what?/ Roland replies. /The Enterprise to show up again? >>>>The Red Star to burn in the sky? The Muppet Movie?/ Morgan throws >>>>him a dirty look... From the backseat of the BMW, "Agent Lance" tosses a peanut at "Agent Harmon". >>>/People? Is there anybody who has a good idea on what will happen >>>if Michael dies at this point in his timeline? If I remember >>>correctly, Mike managed to 'get better' after getting killed at one >>>point in the comics. But is that something he's born with?/ /Durring that mess on Quarren with the original Controller/ replies "Drake Lance" /Mike was able to clone himself, and then, presumably, download a "ghost-tape" with both his memories and personality into the clone. However, this was with the help of the Doctor and Ace, and the technology in the Doctor's Tardis./ /I would think that it was a safe presume that this infant Michael doesn't have the inherent ability to completely regenerate/resurect himself after death, although the adult Mike Seven has displayed a capability analogous to this on occasion./ /I think it is safe to say that the infant Mike is in real danger here, or else the Doctor -- despite this incarnation's reputation for the Machiavellian manipulation of others -- would not have gone to the trouble that he did to get us involved./ >/At this point in time, I don't detect any ablity of the child to >'survive' being killed. Should our opponent succeed in killing him, >it would take some serious external intervention for him to >'survive'. As to our opponent, I sense a powerful mind on the island >where Morgan 'lost' the scent. There is also a field, not unlike a >zone of control, that is preventing 'normal' humans from approaching >the Lorelei Rock. I suspect our enemy is in the new castle on that >island./ Aurora reports. /Aurora, perhaps I am guilty of muddy thinking. If my "Sense of Perception" covers all of Gemany, plus all of the adjacent countries, why would this castle remain undetectable? I *am* a Second-Stage Lensman, would a "Zone of Compulsion", even a presumably powerful one, be capable of this kind of an effect?/ At which point, Dhyrclhanc taps the com-badge on his suit-vest and requests for Dasher to do a surafce scan of the area in question to see if anything is showing-up on the Xavier's scanners. The Lensdragon is careful enough, however, to request it be a passive scan, only. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... (longish) On Mon, 23 Apr 2001 21:15:52 -0700 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010048 >Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010047 > >/Aurora, perhaps I am guilty of muddy thinking. If my "Sense of >Perception" covers all of Gemany, plus all of the adjacent countries, >why would this castle remain undetectable? I *am* a Second-Stage >Lensman, would a "Zone of Compulsion", even a presumably powerful >one, be capable of this kind of an effect?/ /The mind I am detecting is at least as capable as that of an Arisian. Even a Second Stage Lensbeing would be unable to break, or even detect a zone of control created by such a mind. Indeed, of all the Kinnison children only one ever developed the strength of mind to prevent an Arisian from causing the child to sense or not sense what the Arisian wanted him or her to. For me to gather any more information, will risk discovery. I believe I have the edge in mental strength on this being, however very VERY few beings in the general vicinity would survive a mental duel between us./ Aurora answers. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... (longish) On Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:37:32 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010049 >Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010047 > >/I would think that it was safe to presume that this infant Michael >doesn't have the inherent ability to completely regenerate/resurect >himself after death, although the adult Mike Seven has displayed a >capability analogous to this on occasion./ /That's what I was afraid of.../ >/I think it is safe to say that the infant Mike is in real danger >here, or else the Doctor -- despite this incarnation's reputation for >the Machiavellian manipulation of others -- would not have gone to >the trouble that he did to get us involved./ /I assumed that he was in real danger. The question I was building up to is, does anybody have any idea where he gets his regenerative abilities? And more particularly, when? If the ability can be stolen, Rassilon would probably be happy to take it for his own./ >/Aurora, perhaps I am guilty of muddy thinking. If my "Sense of >Perception" covers all of Gemany, plus all of the adjacent countries, >why would this castle remain undetectable? I *am* a Second-Stage >Lensman, would a "Zone of Compulsion", even a presumably powerful >one, be capable of this kind of an effect?/ /And while we're on the subject, how far beyond 'normal human' on the psi scale does somebody have to be to resist the compulsion?/ Rob asks, as the 'faux-tographer' directs his model to head for the river. ================================= Subject: Re: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Tue, 24 Apr 2001 02:02:50 -0500 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010050 >On Tue, 17 Apr 2K1, Morgan and/or Roland Said (tm Roland) > Roland, oddly, doesn't look amused either. /Out of period, dear./ >"Everything _is_ in order," 'Harmon' says, annoyance starting to >creep in at this point. > > "I'll be the judge of that," the guard snaps, peering at Harmon >through narrowed eyes. "You think this is some kind of joke?" > >"No, sir. We at Interpol do not _have_ a sense of humor we are aware >of," "Agent King" deadpans, doing what someone 25 years in the future >would recognize as a credible Tommy Lee Jones, even if she _is_ >speaking German. Whereupon, "Agent Lance" tosses the Telepathic equivalent of a peanut at "Agent King". > /Okay, fan out. I'm not sure what we're looking for, but >Rassilon's managed to mask his temporal and psychic signatures, so we >need a more mundane way to track him./ Harmon stops at the ruined >cylinder wall that once held the nameplate blazoned "Khan Noonian >Singh." He shivers slightly, then looks around. "I want a full sweep. >If you find a suspicious-looking _dust_mote,_ tag it and bag it." He >frowns at the remaining liquid. Meinwhile, beneath his breath, "Agent Lance" says "Nimrod, I'd like as fine a detailed scan and recording of same of the remains of this facility as you are able to make." "Agent Hunter" makes a brief and almost restrained nod and then begins to sweep the wreckage with his artifical hypersenses. #Jim, can you generate a device for me that emulates a Enterprise-E/DS9 era tricorder. This will be a big help, but just leave it in your interior for now. In fact, if the windows are still shaded, in the middle of the back windshield alcove would be great.# "Agent Brown ( Is this right? I don't have any of the old posts handy )," "Agent Lance" continues, nodding his head towards Sythea, "Please stay by the vehicle and make sure that we are not approached by any unfriendlies." Sythea will draw a weapon out from inside her coat which looks all the world like a 1916, "broom-handled" (IOW, Han Solo-type) Mauser pistol and heads back to the "BMW" Then, "Agent Lance" will begin his own sweep of the BioValley Facilies Wreckage. First, he'll inspect the names on the other chresh (sp?) tubes (pardon the pun). Any names that Dhyrclhanc might recognize, Mike ? Then, he'll begin to pick up and place in baggies (conviently produced from inside of his jacket) any suspicious or important looking items that were left behind from the previous Interpol and local police search. When he's collected at least six of these he'll return to the "BMW" and try to use his {object read/psychometry/precognition} ability on them. Well, Mike, do I get anything? He'll also use the opportunity availed by being effectively sheilded by both Jim's current exterior *and* interior to touch base with the Xavier in order to get the results from the Xavier's scans of the Lorelei Rock island. There is no ooc 4; see above ================================= Subject: Re: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Tue, 24 Apr 2001 10:38:25 -0400 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010051 After he checks in with Dasher, on board the Xavier, "Agent Lance" sticks his head out the rear window of the "BMW" (Yes -- after rolling the window down). He makes the overtones of checking on the progess of his fellow agents but, in actuality, sends a tight-beamed TP signal to "Agent Harmon". *Roland, if we need a rallying point, or just a space for planning, and the House that Essex and Caprice are renting does not fit the purpose, we should be able to use the rec/mess hall on the Xavier.* ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7a: Going out... (longish) On Tue, 24 Apr 2001 10:43:30 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010052 >On Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:37:32 -0700 (PDT) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00010049 > >>Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010047 > >/I assumed that he was in real danger. The question I was building up >to is, does anybody have any idea where he gets his regenerative >abilities? And more particularly, when? If the ability can be stolen, >Rassilon would probably be happy to take it for his own./ For the record, these were had after his original cloning at age 25. A special gland was implanted just below his brain, behind his eyes, in the center of his head, that secreted a 'smart-hormone' that was able to encourage rapid healing from simple cuts up to, but not quite including, whole bodily regenaration, as well as artificially allow him to adjust his age. I say not quite including because it has been known to be somewhat stupid in determining what is him and what is merely geneticly pased down to him. After the cloning Dhyrclhanc mentioned, his regeneration was due to having Time Lord DNA mixed with his own. While it had been a willing choice on his part, unlike the other method, he found it was altering his thinking to such a degree that he had himself returned to fully human at the end of AAE 4, a choice Molly, also being part Time Lord, took, curing her, in the process, of her overdeveloped telepathy and her inability to speak or hear. >>/Aurora, perhaps I am guilty of muddy thinking. If my "Sense of >>Perception" covers all of Gemany, plus all of the adjacent >>countries, why would this castle remain undetectable? I *am* a >>Second-Stage Lensman, would a "Zone of Compulsion", even a >>presumably powerful one, be capable of this kind of an effect?/ Yes, it would. In fact, if Dasher is anything other than simple machine, say having telepathy or an organic brain, he wouldn't see the castle, either, though the computer would. He just wouldn't be able to perceive it when the computer pointed it out to him. The computer would say "Castle detected," and he's hear "Nothing found." >/And while we're on the subject, how far beyond 'normal human' on the >psi scale does somebody have to be to resist the compulsion?/ Rob >asks, as the 'faux-tographer' directs his model to head for the >river. If you haven't read the Lensman books, we could try a B5 scale, where a P12 like Bester would have trouble detecting this. Lyta, at somewhere between P25-P30-maybe more, would be somewhere in the low end of Dhyrclhanc's class, with Kosh being the sort, like Arisians, able to pull a stunt like this off, though for him, it would take a lot of rest after, which it isn't for Rassilon. Interestingly, Mike is, as a child, already having the potential to be this world's first L2/Lyta mentality. But, he won't have developed that until AAE1, with varying results until AAE6 when he finally knuckled down and did the mental sorting required to really understand how his mind worked. ================================= Subject: Re: The Wra(i)th of Khan On Tue, 24 Apr 2001 10:43:34 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010053 >On Tue, 24 Apr 2001 02:02:50 -0500 >Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010050 > >Meinwhile, beneath his breath, "Agent Lance" says "Nimrod, I'd like >as fine a detailed scan and recording of same of the remains of this >facility as you are able to make." > >"Agent Hunter" makes a brief and almost restrained nod and then >begins to sweep the wreckage with his artifical hypersenses. It's as described initially. Most anything that relates to the actual research methods or equipment required to do it that isn't ordinary period equipment has been destroyed. The post period equipment's the sort that would have been thought feasible on our TVs were this a television program, like Lost In Space's technology was all what 1960's folk would think the future looked like. >Then, "Agent Lance" will begin his own sweep of the BioValley >Facilies Wreckage. First, he'll inspect the names on the other chresh >(sp?) tubes (pardon the pun). It's the original crew manifest of the _Botany_Bay_, which launched in 1996 with it's geneticly enhanced crew, captained by one Khan Noonian Singh. Apparently, the flight's been cancelled, since the lab's been trashed. >Then, he'll begin to pick up and place in baggies (conviently >produced from inside of his jacket) any suspicious or important >looking items that were left behind from the previous Interpol and >local police search. > >When he's collected at least six of these he'll return to the "BMW" >and try to use his {object read/psychometry/precognition} ability on >them. There's nothing really noteworthy. Lots of ashes. >He'll also use the opportunity availed by being effectively sheilded >by both Jim's current exterior *and* interior to touch base with the >Xavier in order to get the results from the Xavier's scans of the >Lorelei Rock island. If Dasher's a machine without telepathy in any form, he'll find a black tower atop the Lorelei rock. If he's a machine with telepathy or has an organic brain, he won't find anything. Same would apply for Nemisis and Jim. Getting out there will require either a machine with no brain to do the driving, and a way to keep everyone unseen to Rassilon, or a being with a brain like Aurora's who can see it and send everyone there. Also, Aurora could allow the rest of the group to perceive the castle through her, I should think. My next post should move us on to Moonrise. I've kept Fuzzy waiting more than long enough. -- Michael Seven "Shiwan Khan has hypnotized the entire city! They don't see it! None of them see it... But -I- see it." -- Lamont Cranston =================================