Dr Archeville

Archeville wondered who was getting more odd looks, Sea Devil or himself. "I do not worship any deities, no. I have worked alongside some," he said, remembering his short time with Thrude, "but... hrm." Realizing Siren, who was a goddess, could still be lurking about, he tried to remain diplomatic. "The ones who have made their presence known here on Earth either seem intent on wiping us all out, or are as emotional and fallible as any human -- or metahuman. And who knows, in a thousand years, some of today's superheroes may be remembered as deities." He chuckled briefly at that, his first thought going to how a certain immortal Greek inventor would react to such a development. "Are there superheroes amongst your people? Ah, sorry, I am getting off topic. My faith has been in my skills, my technology... but that has not been enough, so I am learning to put some faith in others." He coughed at the exchange between Vale and Aquaria, trying to hide another laugh. "Atlantis? I know it was once believed to be a legend, an allegory for a utopian nation, which started as a misinterpretation of one of Plato's allegories on the hubris of nations, mistaken as historical tradition. And then, in the 1940s, we saw proof of it, when Prince Thallor rescued Lynn Sidon from a boat that had been attacked by Nazi forces. Thallor and Lynn's son, Prince Theseus, joined the Freedom League in the 1960s, as Sea-King, and Atlantis had more dealings with the surface world, though tensions have always been -- and remain -- strained. And I know Atlantis and Lemuria were at war for some time, and that Deep Ones were somehow born of both?" He looked over her armor again, once more wondering where it was from. "I also know their technology is quite different from surface world technology, incorporating both the advanced technology of the Preservers and their understanding and use of magic... and it was their mis-use of Lemurian magics that caused the cataclysm that sank their island."

"Ooh, food is good, I have not eaten since breakfast. And laser-dinosaurs sounds even better!," he added with a laugh and a broad smile. Just a bit too broad. Davyd listened with rapt attention to Judy's guide. "Oh, how is the library's media collection? Do they have many movies? Is there a film appreciation class here? Oh!" he exclaimed, and was practically bouncing, "is there a theatre arts class here?! I am - er, was - er am? - in the one at Roosevelt High. We did Dracula last semester -- I did all the makeup and special effects! -- and are working on Much Ado About Murder now. Not as much fun stuff there, though there is a lot of neat costume work, especially for the twins." He answered the actual question posed to him with equal enthusiasm. "Oh, I'm from Freedom, grew up in an apartment in Riverside, with my parents and babusya and uncle." He definitely had the accent of a native Freedonian, though with a hint of something else. "They came over here from the Ukraine," (ah, that's it) "in the eighties, back when that meltdown happened at Chernobyl. I've still got grandparents over there, though. Well, not in Chernobyl, obviously, they moved to the eastern part of the country."

There's another Wander running around Freedom? Oh my. Wonder how the legal system's dealing with that. "I have been to other places, yes. Ah, other dimensions. Many that were like this world, but as it was hundreds of years ago. One where... some very bad Surface people had taken over," he thought back to the time he & some others helped rescue some Claremonters from an accidental trip to Erde, "I helped Wander and some of her friends get out of there. I spent months on one where the sun was red and bloated, the oceans had all dried up, and metal was as scarce as the water. That one," he looked down at his hand, picturing the technorganic matter beneath the holodisguise, "had a very big impact on me, in a very unexpected way." "I have also been out into space- er, into the Sea of Stars. I would like to go back. I have considered going back, for longer explorations. But..." he looked back to Vale and Frost, "there is much I should still do here, I think." "So, I hear you have helped Miss Vale learn much about your faith, and about Lemuria. Has she taught you much of Surface Worlder faiths, or of Atlantis?"

Archeville nodded, still (discretely) looking over Delta's tech. "Interesting. Were there many of you? Are there any still out there? Did any of them go rogue, as you did?" How ironic it would be, if an attempt to create a stronger, tougher Omegadrone resulted in an Omegadrone with free will. But they could still put that will towards catastrophic goals, there is no reason to assume they would automatically rebel, or rebel in a way that would help the multiverse. North vouches for this one, but... Archeville nodded to North, "I am as ready as can be expected." He cocked his head slightly at his last announcement, "do you often go out on field missions? I was under the impression you were- ah, that is, that you'd left those days behind," he added diplomatically.

Archeville was quiet, taking everything in -- her words, the way she paced (so very similar to the way he paced with his anti-gravity belt), the brief exchange between the two women. What she says sounds good and reasonable, certainly, and not outside the realm of possibility. I've seen friendly neighborhood vampires, rogue Omegadrones, people with the blood of demons in their veins, all trying to do good. And there was even that one guy, Kid Cthulhu, who tried using his powers to help others. Am I being fair to her? I'm prejudiced, no doubt, given what I went through, but that's just one more thing I'll need to work on. At last he spoke, his tone reserved. "I am... glad I had this opportunity to meet with you." He nodded to Vale, then looked back to Aquaria, "you have given me much to think on, and new ideas to consider, which is something I always relish. And I should like to continue talking with you, and learn more about where you've been, in the Seas of Water and the Sea of Stars. And... about you."

That's... different. Definitely not a standard model. Archeville was certainly no stranger to cyborgs, and was passingly familiar with Omegadrones, so Delta's appearance didn't disturb him too much. He offered his hand to him, "I am indeed, though I am curious as to what he told you of me, as he told me little of you. Your sensory implants appear quite different from those of a standard Omegadrone -- were you a 'limited production model,' or were they added in after you went rogue?" He withdrew his hand, squeezed his eyes shut, and shook his head, "sorry, sorry, that was impolite. Tell me or don't, all I need know is that North vouches for you." He opened his eyes and offered his hand again. "I look forward to learning from your experiences, and working together on solving this issue."

Davyd did a double-take at Monica, "wait, you- you're Lady Liberty! Wow! Oh my goodness, I did not think I would meet someone like you here! I mean, I had heard you were a student here, but I did not think you would do the meet-and-greet of new people! Wow!" It took a moment for her words to reach his mind, "oh, I would love to see all of it! I mean, as much of the campus as you can show me. I know there may not be time to show it all off... unless one of you is a speedster who is strong enough to carry us?" He looked around at the group, hopeful curiosity plastered across his face. "Wait, a tiger-dragon? What?" A heady wave of excitement and fear washed over him, "is it still out there? Should we tell someone? Should... should we go and see?"

If Archeville noted Lynn's slip up over Gretchen's name, his face showed no indication of it. Instead, he tried to deflect with some humor, "well, there is Ace Danger, I think he's game for anyone. And if you broaden out from 'unaging' to 'non-dying,' you've got folks like Avenger, or Dead Head." He cracked a smile, then gave an actual chuckle. Her next act brought a different reaction, of stern reproach. "Now, Lynn, I know you've looked up to me, and we've shared many intense moments together..." Too early to make a dom/sub joke? Best to err on the side of caution and not go that route. Tones of exaggeration and mockery began creeping into his voice, "but I was your employer, and it would be highly inappropriate for us to- I can't keep this up," his words trailed off into laughter.

Archeville winced at the use of the term 'champion,' but tried to keep his composure. "Others, whose judgment I trust, say you are different, because you act unlike other Deep Ones we have encountered. All the ones we have encountered saw humans as nothing but food, or breeding stock. And that... 'champion'," he said through gritted teeth, "saw all of us -- human and Deep One alike -- as little more than mildly useful animals, amusing pets at best, or food otherwise. The only songs that would be heard in its wake are dirges, and howls of pain and loss." He paused, trying to maintain his composure while in the presence of a being that reminded him of all that. "It fed on and fed into all the darker aspects of my psyche, and the minds of my ancestors. And that is what you followed? Knowingly?"

"I am glad W.E.S.T. exists," Archeville replied, nodding solemnly, "too often have there have been threats that no one organization could handle, and which required collaborative efforts. Or which could have been predicted far ahead of time, if various organizations had shared their disparate observations. 'Can't see the forest for the trees,' and all that." If I had been more willing to share with others, then perhaps- no, no use in dwelling on past failures. At the mention of a trip to the Lost World, Archeville's mind began racing with preparations for such a trip: hazards they'd encounter, supplies they'd need, what local resources would be available to them should they be cut off, and so on. But North's mention of the consultant brought those thought processes to an abrupt end. I know of the one working with Miss Americana, but there's another one? "I... well, if W.E.S.T. can vouch for them," he replied finally, "then I see no reason why there would be any problems. My main concern would be how they -- and, frankly, how I -- will react once we're in the Lost World, as some reports I have read indicate there is some manner of 'anti-technology' field in parts of it."

"Oh, so that's when ya came out?" Dead Head replied to Revenant. "Hoo, yeah, that was a day... an' you say you was there since the twenties? Daaang. Wait, hold on - so it was the gangsters what killed ya? Or are ya still fuzzy on that? An' you got no idea what it was what brought ya up?" He stroked his chin in thought, "ya said ya had some vague notion'a time while you was buried, so it wouldn't' been something from that mad Dok what brought ya up. Hunh. Well, if'n yer ever curious, I'm happy t'help ya-" he twirled his shovel around and returned it to the holster on his back, "dig into it!" A Mutt slowly walked up to Sea Devil, fading into view, very unsure how to react. She smelled one way, but acted another, and he got the sense she wasn't a(n immediate) threat. He let out a few low 'boofs' in her direction, looking back and forth between her and Dead Head. Dead Head himself went a bit wide-eyed when he saw her face, as the last time he'd seen Deep Ones was during that whole mess with the Dok. "Wait, so yer... hunh, this city has changed. But ya been nothin' but polite so far, so I an't see no reason t'assume ya mean us ill. So, what kinda dog is ol' Baxter, hrm?" Seeing that he seemed okay with her, A Mutt approached to within petting distance of Aquaria.

"The Lost- oh my. Oh, my, my, my," Archeville muttered, mind racing with possibilities. "If Darwin-X was introduced there, mutating the dinosaurs and other creatures, that could be catastrophic, to the Lost World's ecosystem and to our own, if any of them escaped. We might not just see stronger and faster creatures, but smarter one -- dinosaurs taken down evolutionary paths leading to full sapience. And possibly armed with advanced armor and weaponry." "But what if whoever's doing this goes the other way?," he asked, looking over the medical data once more. "What if they went to the Lost World to collect some prehistoric microbe, something no one here has any resistance to, and altered that with Darwin-X? That could be what the earlier incident was, a test to see how Darwin-X interacts with bacteria. They could loose a plague upon the world that would make the Black Death look like the common cold!"

"I've heard of stranger things," Archeville replied as he took everything in. "Like of the group of intelligent, telepathic rhesus monkeys out in the western United States. But this appears to be a chimpanzee, not a rhesus. But is it, or is it merely something that appears to be a Pan troglodytes?" He flipped through pages of medical data, "ah, yes, this does appear to be a chimp, mutated by the Darwin-X virus. He would have been able to talk to us... but what would you have said?," he 'asked' the corpse. "And where did you come from, hrm? Medical laboratory? Poacher? Perhaps your gear can give us a clue." He peered at the jumpsuit and rifle, examining them with eyes that saw more of the EM spectrum than most, and careful to not (yet) touch anything. Then he looked at the results of WEST's own scans, then back at the items. "The jumpsuit can react instantly to impacts or energy attacks, going rigid or reflective as needed, and the material itself can rapidly disperse the energy of an attack, all while remaining as light and flexible as silk. I've designed something similar, but the resources required would make the cost too high for it to be effective for military use -- did whoever make this find some workarounds? Perhaps using Darwin-X-modified silkworms?" He turned his focus to the weapon, "this is similarly advanced, using something similar to -- yet distinct from -- Daka crystals, as both power source and focusing lens. It's almost as if the Daka crystals were changed as much as this poor chimp here... which would be extremely worrying, if that virus could affect inorganic, non-living matter." Archeville's eyes went wide as he considered the implications of that. "Well... let's demolish that bridge when we get to it."

I'll say Dok's had his mind set on "Enhanced Wisdom" thus far (to help be aware of things and fend off any surprise mental attacks), so he's at INT 20, WIS 32, CHA 8. And I'll keep it at that, for now. Shapeshift/"Internalized Electromagnetic Screwdriver" at default setting Enhanced Skills 24 (+2 to Computers, Craft [Chemical/Electrical/Mechanic], Disable Device, Investigate, Know [Life Sci/Phy Sci/Technology], Medicine, Notice, Search)["masterwork tools"] {6}Morph 6 (one form [pre-reformatted Doktor Archeville]; +30 Disguise; PF: Voice Mimicry) ["holodisguise w/ voice modulator"] {7}Super-Senses 7 (analytical for all radio [2], analytical for all visual [2], communication link [radio, Haus von Archeville], infravision, ultravision) ["EM Senses"] {7}{6+7+7=20/20} Taking 10 on assorted skills gets: Investigate [analyzing clues, determining cause of death] = 23 Knowledge (Life Sciences) [is monkey a mutant human, a mutant ape, an alien, what?] = 28 Knowledge (Physical Sciences) [material analysis of gun & jumpsuit] = 28 Knowledge (Technology) [analysis of gun & jumpsuit] = 28 Medicine [assessing general condition of monkey] = 29 Notice [to get a good look at the room he's in & people he's with] = 23 Search [to maybe spot something the others missed] = 17 [with that result, doubtful] Sense Motive [getting a feel for the general mood of the place] = 30

"Oh, yes, yes," he nodded, "I completely understand your desire to stay here for a while, not go off on any whirlwind adventures. And there is still much for me to do here, and my craft is still far from finished. But... I will remember your interest." He smiled, genuinely, warmly, then looked down at his hands, seeing through his holodisguise. "My new... condition also comes with a prolonged life, so having a long-lived associate would be nice. Especially one who's already seen me at my worst." His smile faded, but the light did not go totally out from his eyes.

"I am... better than I was," he replied, wincing a bit at her voice. "And very different, as I am sure you can see. More a being of this world, less of yours. And blended with our technology, not with your magics." He eyed her trident warily; he had seen some wielding weapons of similar construction to horrifying effect. "So... I hear you are not as the other Deep Ones, and that you see the people of this city as your... your clan? Tribe? I would like to know how that happened. And how you came by that armor," he added, taking his eyes off her weapon and face and examining her outfit, "which looks like nothing I have ever seen before, but which I have a feeling is from neither this world nor yours."

The MRI scans confirmed what the League had shared with WEST: that Viktor Archeville was no longer a flesh-and-blood human, but something quite different. Possibly unique, at least on this world, a strange hybrid of flesh and metal and circuitry. "Of course, of course," Archeville replied, nodding, "I know well the delicate balancing act between confidentiality and responsibility. And, yes, I fully expect I would be high up on your list. Though, ah, I admit I am a bit curious as to just how high. Top Ten? Top Five?" He waved a hand dismissively, "no, no, you don't have to answer." "So," he peered beyond North, to the facility entrance behind him, "what are some of WEST's current projects? Or, rather, the most pressing projects?"

Despite himself, a small smile did creep into Archeville's lips. He slowly disengaged himself from the health monitors and got out of bed, "Alright, give me a moment to make myself presentable, and then I will speak with her." He smoothed out his clothing, checked his appearance in a small mirror set into the wall, and ran his hands through his hair. Alright. I can do this. I can. I can do this. It took only a few strides to reach the door. He placed his hand on the knob, took another steadying breath, and slowly turned the handle. The door opened.

"What makes you think I don't already have one?," he replied, Lynn's fae nature coaxing out some mischievousness in him. He was also happy to be shifting to a subject he was more comfortable with discussing. "I've considered the issues surrounding space travel for some time -- had to, to get my satellite up. Er, satellites," he corrected himself. "And I was a member of the Freedom League Auxiliary for a time, so I had a chance to examine the Pegasus-class space planes that Daedalus designed & built. That helped me refine some ideas, though also lead to further questions." He paused a moment and took another sip of his coffee. "Actually, with my current state of being, I could fly into space all on my own, without any vehicle. Which would have certain advantages, and several disadvantages. So, if I do go, it would be in a spacecraft. And, like my home in Hanover, yes," he added with a wink, "it would be bigger on the inside."

Archeville's mouth actually fell slightly agape at Vale's information. After several moments of muttering half-formed words to himself, he fixed her with a look. "So, she's a... a heretic? The enemy of our enemy is our friend? That is... not unprecedented, yes, but I... hrm." He went quiet again, slowly drumming his fingers. "One last question, if you will allow, and then I... I will meet with her. Again. What was her reaction, when she saw me, and when I fainted? I was not in the best frame of mind to study her reactions to me, so I do not clearly recall how she looked at me."

Archeville's existence as a technorganic posthuman was still something of a secret, not known to many. The Freedom League knew, as did the Interceptors (well, word had been passed to them, at least), and other heroes who had worked directly with him. Keeping secrets had lead to many of his problems, and he wanted to make sure he wasn't doing that anymore. On the other hand, he hadn't wanted to broadcast his change -- particularly as it had come with his death, opening the door to questions over whether he truly was Archeville or a copy (a quandry he'd wrestled with for some time himself!) -- so he had kept that part out of the public. Airport metal detectors would ping his hybrid flesh-metal-circuitry substance, bu he rarely had to deal with those, and the few times he did, it was a relatively simple manner to generate an EM masking signal, or interface mentally with the scanner to make everything appear okay. I could fool this MRI scanner without much added difficulty, he thought. Deflect the magnetic fields, interface with the machine to generate a 'normal' scan showing I am a standard human... but that way is a slippery slope. And there may be things in there that would react negatively to my form, pose unique hazards to me, so it really would be best to share this information with Doctor North. "Well," he began, standing before the scanner, "I was possessed by an entity from beyond the known multiverse," he said matter-of-factly, "which used everything I had built up over the years to bring horrors to this word. But I got better. And then I died, fighting the Power Corps & the Science Squad in Germany. I got better from that, too," he said as he entered the scanner, "though not without some... alterations. Which I would greatly prefer be kept confidential, Doctor."

The monitors showed a spike in Archeville's heart rate when Vale mentioned Aquaria's religious practice, but soon settled back down. "I suppose I should talk with... her, but not just yet. I have a few more questions I would like to ask you first, but before I do, allow me to look up a few things." Archeville closed his eyes and shifted his perceptions to the wider EM spectrum, searching for strong wifi signals and from there to the internet. He ran a quick search on 'Deep Ones' and 'Aquaria Innsmouth'. The first brought up several accounts of the unpleasantness of June 2011, articles he had read and re-read dozens of times. Refining that search, combined with the terms of his second one, brought up information on the individual he had just met. "Yes," he said after a few moments, opening his eyes and looking at Vale with a mix of eager curiosity and profound loss, "I can see she has had some impact, though there is much that is still unknown. So, I would ask you, as someone who has ties to the seas and those who dwell in them: what do you think of her? And what have you seen of her religious practices?"

A few moments after the plane landed, the door opened and a figure walked out. At first Dr. North mistook them for some member of the flight crew, head low and shoulders hunched. Then he noticed that the rain was not falling on this figure, but bouncing off, as if deflected by an invisible umbrella... or force field. As North took a closer look at the figure, he saw that this was indeed the (in)famous Doktor Viktor Archeville, though his usual swagger and energy were nowhere to be seen. He had not been seen in years, and whatever had happened to him to drive him to seclusion had brought some definite changes to his demeanour. He waved to North with one hand, the other was holding some small device up -- likely his famed Electromagnetic Screwdriver, responsible for the umbrella-field. "Hello, Doctor North," the German omnidisciplinarian said, barely audible above the rain.

"Taxes!" Dead Head spat, his eyes bugging out and jaw falling limp. "You mean I gotta pay back taxes! Aw, man, if that ain't a kick in th' head..." He grumbled and groused a moment, kicking a few stray rocks, but soon had it worked out of his system. Sea Devil's question helped snap him out of his funk. Well, his financial funk. "Th' two was actually related, in a way. What killed me was some nasty whatsit that Baron Samedi and Malador was tryin' 'summon, back durin' the Y2K scare. Eldrich -- ah, that'd be Adrian Eldrich, th' former Master Mage" he said aside to Hypno Hippie, "stopped 'em, but not completely. Part of it tried sneakin' in through a back door they'd set up in my noggin'," he said, knocking on his head, "which killed me... an' everyone around me at the time. But fortunately, somethin' else came along with 'em -- Papa Ghede, Samedi's... well, I guess you could say 'e's 'is "good twin brother," and stopped 'em from usin' me like a meatsuit. Ghede brought me back as best 'e could, but the corruption from them Horrors plus his own wounds made things go a bit... wrong. But mah new condition came with new abilities," he placed both hands around his neck and tugged upward, once, twice, three times, and then his head popped neatly off. "Used 'em to help folks, or scare folks what needed scarin'," his voice now had an eerie, sepulchral echo, "and especially fightin' Samedi an' Malador." He passed his head back and forth between his hands, then plopped it back onto his neck, and it seemed to re-bond perfectly & his voice returned to 'normal', "then about ten years later, Ghede popped up again -- or, rather, out, since 'e'd been doin' 'is recuperatin' inside me -- which was good timin', 'cuz that was when Hades & Samedi was havin' their turf war here in Freedom. Ghede put a top to that foolishness, an' was gonna take me on to Guinee, but it seemed I'd made a buncha friends in my time here, an' they all spoke up fer me. So Ghede lemme stay. An' 'e left a friend!" Dead Head stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled, but nothing seemed to happen, nothing appeared. Moments later, Aquaria heard new notes in the song of the universe, of something manifesting from another dimension, but she neither saw nor smelled anything appear. Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared next to Dead Head's knees, and he bent down a bit to pet the air a few inches above the eyes. "Well," he looked up to Revenant, "I guess the taxes thing ain't that big a deal. 'Sides," he said with a chuckle, "I'll likely be outlastin' the guv'ment anyways, so I wo'nt be payin' em for long!"

The new student smiled broadly as he shook Connie's hand (or, perhaps more accurately, was shaken by Corinne), and flashed a smile at Ashley & Judy & Monica & Leroy as well. "You can all me Davyd! Davyd Palahniuk! Ah, so you are all sophomores? We'll all be in the same classes!" He clapped his hands together, "that's perfect! Oh, uh, except..." his eyes darted back and forth nervously, "I'm not sure if I'm going to finish out my sophmore year here or at my old school. There's just three months to go, so I'm not sure how that would all work out." He paused, nodded, and smiled again, "but even if I don't finish out my school year here, I'm sure there would still be things I can do after school with you all!"