Ari

GM "An excellent point, 13505!" Mercifully, the flood of volatile chemical stopped, and very soon the crystal body's stored heat dissipated into the room's air. The burny-bot slunk back out of focus. "So, now we can see the copying of physical attributes is an apparent success, tell me, can you do anything now that you could not before? Do you feel anything different, besides the change in sensation?" There was an unconcealable edge of greed to the voice "Can you see anyhing new? If yes, please do not spare a detail, if no we will proceed with a repeat of the first test." Sakurako's cell The guards' partly synthesized voices barked out laughing after a moment's stunned silence. "Wow! Did you almost fall for that, Santos?" "Nearly did, Wu! Not a bad job, kid, but come on, give us a little credit, will you?" Santos peered into the cell, "Uh...come to think of it, partner. That was a pretty big shock. Don't think we can take any chances, not if we want to keep off regular duty. I'll get a medtech, you go make sure she's faking. Wish we could use the radios for this stuff, stupid no-chatter zones..."" "On it." Wu produced a slim metal card and swiped it through the slot by the door, disengaging the forcefield and causing the metal slab to retreat into the floor. He stepped through cautiously, a surprisingly fearsome-looking shock-prod in his off hand. Santos jogged quickly out of sight, remarkably fast for all his bulky gear. Wu nudged Endeavor, gingerly, with his foot "Okay, kid, show's over, get on up. The Hell'd you go and do something so darn fool as that? Could've killed yourself!"

DC19 Toughness save: 25 result. Unharmed.

Seeing the onoming bulwark of animated bone, something distressingly primitive triggered in Dol-Druth's connected brain, a remnant of the days long before Dotrae was a tamed planet, when other, voiceless life lurked in the warm, moist and dark caverns under the frozen surface, when only sudden bursts of coordinated violence stood between the tribes of the day and extinction. Lumbering aside with the grace and agility of a narcoleptic ox, Dol-Druth swung both arms across his wobbling chest, palms facing his enemy and eyes shining with electric light. A similar blue sheen coalesced around scattered debris, nearby abandoned cars and a fire hydrant, and with a grunt of exertion the Speaker of Dotrae flung out his hands, a signal for the billions of minds linked to his to strike. There was no intermediate step between the objects being at rest and them turning into a hail of telekinetically-charged destruction. Faster than the human eye could follow the projectiles smashed and battered the undead dino, cars crumpling against its ribs, the fire hydrant colliding with a clang against the thing's skull, and the smaller things cracking and splintering wherever they could. To Dol-Druth's inexpressible shock and relief, and that of his spectators, the attack worked. The pseudo-living reptid stumbled and buckled under the assault, and for the moment there was one less threat to worry about. And so many to go the alien thought as he scanned the packs of skeltors, a scan that suddenly brought his attention to the smoking wrecks of the Earth-vehicles he'd flung and the fountain of water gushing out where the fire hydrant had stood. His eyes widened as the Planet Inspector belatedly realized his mistake Oh no. Oh nono no.

The Speaker will switch to the Blast on his Array, using random objects around him to launch via telekinesis as a hail of projectiles. All-Out Attacking (+2 ATK, -2DEF) and Power Attacking (+2DMG, -2ATK)at the Ankylosaur who tried to charge him. 21 is the result, with a DC27 Toughness save for the skeletal the-saurus if that counts for a hit. Also, this is a panic move, Dol-Druth isn't supposed to damage any Earth property or persons during his inspection. It's actually against the law.

GM April 10th, 2016, 2.32PM The Vault Of all the sounds least expected at the door of a secret lair holding a plethora of powerful mystic artifacts and housing a champion of order and justice, the sound of a firm series of knocks and the words "Mr. Templar! I'd like to talk to you on behalf of the IRS!" in a young woman's voice were pretty high up there. Outside, IRS agent Violet Amethyst Khasani Sefir-Hull felt the full awkwardness and surreality of her position, fiddling with her dark suit and briefcase and occasionally squinting irritably through her curly snowy bangs at the blazing, cheerful sky. It had been an exhausting walk, but sitting down or even leaning were out of the question. These super-types could smell fear, and any sign of weakness might jeopardize her whole mission. So she squared her padded shoulders, wished for the tenth time that day she wasn't so tall, gangly and obviously, painfully green-looking, and set her her narrow purple face in an expression that she hoped looked very important and casually businesslike. Of course, the fact that this whole transformation happened on-camera slightly ruined its intended effect.

Yes I did, sorry Sailor, went to sleep and thought I'd wake up earlier. They are of one mind, so one roll: 19, ah well. GM post upcoming.

Yeesh, that certainly leaves a mark. I'm glad you asked, Ex-Citizen! The thing broiling away turns out to be stored memories of people who somehow had their powers and memories of their using them put into this crystal. In this case the power Alex took from the crystal is ESP 10(Auditory & Visual Senses) Linked to a Penetrates Concealment Super-Sense Extra for both of those sense types. A bonus, his Mimicry seems to make him immune to the crystal's power-absorptive properties. Also, for some reason all the memories have Alex thinking in what to him sounds like "Chinese"(actually Mandarin)

Casually putting the disgusting foodstuffs to one side, Dol-Druth settled into a slight hunch over the holo-cor, his fat fingers a blur over the illusory keys as he busily summarized the answers and entered them into the datagate. It was hard to represent societal and cultural forces across staggeringly complex interspecies lines but luckily Lor science was up to the challenge. "So it all comes down to individuals and giving them a productive, safe environment where they won't be as likely to turn to crime. But given the rapid expansion of human population and the exponential drain on your local resources, can this be achieved with human nature as you know it? We admit, number 4," the Dotrae looked at Mike as he said this "that it is inaccurate to think of exceptional members of your race as not actually being part of you, but often their...gifts result in a different perspective and the difference in ability between one of you and an exceptional member can be disastrous. Our predecessor as Speaker was able to suppress the will of the many he used, operating almost as a lonemind himself." The pallid alien's smooth face wrinkled and twisted at the memory and the reference to the singular "All of Dotrae was held as partly responsible, and publicly chastised and fined by the Rotunda of Justice. Reparations are still being allotted to those he defrauded and wronged." "The next questions are these: with the assumption that some of your exceptionals will always, under current human nature, turn to crime given the proper environment and/or impetus, what is the most likely change in the culture of your Earth-born exceptionals to prevent catastrophe? Is that their responsibility at all? Can you hold them accountable without exceptional support, and should you?"

That's an obstacle, but hardly an insurmountable one! Besides, you do have a few HP.

That works for me, and a 20 is easily enough to figure out how to make such a primitive machine start working, especially since it's already connected to the power supply.

Sailor, the cell's (restricted) climate control is on the same wall as the old computer. Since they likely run from the same power source, the much greater energy needs of the vacuum-tube era computer could potentially overload the wiring of its more delicate brethren or cause a pulse train thanks to the motor of fhe AC fan. But the computer would need to activated first. The guards are pretty comfortable and bored, and wowing somebody with their knowledge of how their world works is likely to appeal to them.

Exaccus, if you want, Alex can make a Concentration check to capture whatever it is the shard has planted in his mind via the transformation. And a DC17 Fortitude check to resist the palmitic acid.

From what Endeavour can tell this place isn't meant for long-term confinement, the metal panels making up the walls and flooring aren't actually very secure, there's a very old, powered-down computer console under an old steel hatch, and the door has a simple electronic lock on the outside, most likely needing a keycard or something similar. There's not much room to search, and fhe cameras have the entire cell covered, but given how old this place seems to be it's likely the wiring runs right through the walls, if only there was some way to get to it without the cameras picking up anything unusual.

GM On top of the bizarre sensation of turning from flesh and bone to crystal, Alex felt something else, something twisting and fracturing at the back of his mind. Focusing on it would take some real doing, though, whatever it was dispersed like cockroaches in sunlight when he tried to focus. If he could just ease it into mental view... Over the intercom, his captor (or possibly a different person with the same voice) said "I think you're supposed to wait before transforming if you want to make that a serious offer. But don't worry 13505, your sibling isn't a captive like you, he even wants to be here. We've been showing him around. Really, Richard has been quite cooperative, and enormous help. Who do you think told us about you, and got you alone out of that school?" A turret-like machine dropped from the ceiling, carrying a tank of some kind of chemical. It aimed its nozzle at Alex's face. "Now, please sit still, the burny-bots still don't have the best aim...oh right, the stasis-field you're in! Nevermind, just don't panic!" From the turret erupted a stream of fire, the infamous smell and heat of napalm bursting on the teenaged boy like the fury of Hell. He wasn't burning. But that didn't make it any more fun. Sakurako's cell The guards' uniforms were mostly hidden from the shoulders down, but as one drew closer to the broad slot that admitted a view into the outside, they became more visible as something like a light yet armored space-suit suit with a helmet underneath. They both had the same stylized "G" on their chests and black visors with yellow lenses that the people who'd captured Endeavor had worn. But these wore dark gold, not tan. "Sorry, kid," the closer guard was aggravatingly cheerful, smiling broadly behind the dome of tinted material "no idea who these people are! We're only allowed to remember every other Friday. Payday, you know? Whoever they are, they do a lot of...sciencey things, got all kinds of robots, clones, stuff that makes a mile into a million miles, you name it, it all goes through here or gets made here." "Never had any prisoners, though, that's a new one." His friend had followed his lead and peered curiously into the cell "Usually anyone's in these, their bodies aren't dangerous, but the bosses don't want a corpse on the workfloors." "What was that about your sister?" The first leaned against the door's forcefield, which crackled and hissed against the armor "She some kind of supervillain? Do your parents know? My little girl, Maybelle, she tells me she wants to be a supervillain when she grows up, but she says all kinds of crazy things, like that I'm a supervillain, or that my bosses are." He shook his head ruefully "Kids these days, they think everything's about the supers." "Did we already say this?" "Sure hope not, partner."

No, it's just a room branching off of a hallway, like most buildings do, no special trickery here(besides the combo door), they don't expect to need it, and if you want to find stuff that might help with the escaping, some rolls might be güd.

It goes either way. I was thinking the former, that Endeavor just was in the area and intervened, but if you'd rather it was the latter go ahead. While both ways end up the same, the difference is in how they see their new captive which changes what will be needed to get enoh legroom to escape. Clothes are what they were wearing at the time of the abduction.

Ooc for this thread. Evil science vs. good science and also superpowers go.

GM May 7th, 2016, 2.04 AM Somewhere beyond Freedom City, one mile beneath the surface To Alex, the white room stretched into forever, his body floating in a silent void. Only the sensation of the forcefields holding him in place and the faint echoes over the hidden intercom kept things from seeming wholly unreal. The stream of regular visitors kept things lively, too. "As you can see, colonel, the assimian specimen is as unharmed as their sibling." A figure materialized out of the white glare, in the same tan uniform with the same mechanically-styled "G", ventilator mask and narrow glowing eyeslits as the rest. Even the voice, muffled by the uniform, sounded as androgynous and indistinctive as the rest. This one, however, was followed by a whirring drone projecting a silhouette of a face, its features obscured by static. Regardi Alex with its implacable mechanical stare, a voice eventually crackled "Good work. You're sure he can't copy energy forms?" "Positive." Some kind of control panel slid down from the ceiling, and the figure idly checked it over, seeing nothing they did not expect to see "Only solids and possibly certain liquids can be mimicked by the subject. We'll bring them into contact with the piece of the Shard, then proceed with the other tests." "Hm. Keep them in good condition, doctor, and bring back results I can use or nothing at all. That sibling, by the way...can they be enhanced using the subject, like you told them?" The figure laughed, and the control panel vanished like a ghost into the white mist "Nothing's impossible, colonel! But some things are very, very improbable. I'll keep you informed, breaking commlink." The projected face winked out, and the buglike robot droned back into the world outside the void. The figure remained for a moment, regarding Alex as a slender piece of red crystal imprisoned in a clear pillar rose from the floor in front of the teenager. As it began moving closer to him, the figure walked out, saying aloud "Do a good job, subject 13505, and I'll open a channel to your brother's room. "Results I can use", please, like we're ASTRO Labs or something..." The crystal was uncovered, and tilted as it gently came to rest against Alex's forehead. Sakurako's cell The ceiling had four cameras, or at least four visible ones, in each corner. The door was an arrangement of thick metal held in place by a thoroughly old-fashioned forcefield. Perfectly-placed lights kept things illuminated, but allowed for sleep. Outside were thirteen other cells, all empty by the way they were ignored by the guards, who stood facing Endeavor's from the wall opposite. There were various accomodations for living beings, and a privacy screen, but nothing was hidden from the unmoving electronic eyes. "What's with the hair, mutant?" By some quirk, anything inside the cell could be heard in the corridor directly outside (they'd already teased her for snoring while sleeping off the knockout pulse) and the same inside. "Nah, I looked over Loretta's shoulder when she was doing the scan, just chemical dye." "That's no fun. So, what're they going to do with her?" "Still figuring that out. Didn't count on a third person being there when they grabbed the other two." "Long as we don't have to go back to regular duty, hope that takes 'em forever." There was a long pause, and the second guard said "Do you hate being on these memory-loss drugs as much as me?" "So very, very much. Pretty sure you asked me that exact question ten minutes ago." It was actually twenty-eight seconds ago.

No, Ana is waiting for the enthusiastic affirmative which is the only possible outcome that she wants to consider, that he Liberators would say anything else has not entered her darkest dreams. She's putting an enormous amount of trust on these strangers, and even if she was aware of the mental conversation she wouldn't dream of eavesdropping. But Tek and Ak'Rohoros are evidently having some private conversation, though not on the astral plane, more likely something channeled through their technology. Whatever it's about, Ak'Ro is stolid and loyal and Tek is urging some change in what they're doing.

GM "Very true," Tesla murmured back to Wayward, pretending to inspect a segment of the column of creatures "on the other hand I'd still rather something didn't fall and hit any of us this far down." More loudly she began to address Tristan "An excellent idea, doctor. Obviously we wouldn't be the first to have a scientific curiosity about this dimension, the inhabitants must have-" Another voice, human but for a faint, trilling buzz behind its syllables, spoke out of the noisy, rumbling darkness "We made this to help spread life. My ancestors, anyway." A human-like figure in armor sparkling gold in Tesla's nucelonic aura hopped down from another collapsing tower, walking briskly up to the heroes and looking up at them from one of the rocky slabs. Her eyes were compound, but looked like they were made of multi-faceted diamonds set into the golden chitin-like mask covering her upper face and holding back her long black hair, two antennas twitching on its ridge. On her hips were an uncannily organic-looking gun and saber hilt. With a slight bow, she went on "Greetings, Ultraworlders, I am Ana Tyet, queen of the captive Aseti and fugitive from the monster known as Rylon of Konteel, Emperor of the Infraverse! And you" she pointed an armored hand at the floating humans "are the ones who will restore my peoples' freedom and end the tyranny of Rylon, sent by the Macrosapience known in your uncouth tongue as the Questor!" The Atoms stared blankly, and Tesla opened her mouth to speak, but Ana raised a forestalling hand "Protest not, Liberators, my eyes are blessed by the Macrojudge, and see the truth of all things! With your help and that of my last free subjects, victory and revelation are assured! Ak'Ro, Tek, come down and meet our new allies." An enormous armored man landed with a thud beside the princess, his ornate armor gleaming a darker shade of gold than hers despite the brilliant wings folding into his back, and his head and face were hidden by a beetle-like helmet. In his hands was an enormous sickle-sword that hummed with power. Gesturing to him, Ana said "Ak'Rohoros Neterath, the last of my guard-race and my protector since childhood." The giant bent his doméd head, but said nothing. A brown insectile face poked cautiously over the egde of the shelf the other two stood on, a weathered high-tech spear slung over one shoulder. The princess smiled "That is Tek, the last, most honest criminal from my world, and my closest friend, which only half the Infraverse can claim." "That is a slanderous lie!" Tek vaulted nimbly onto the shelf, revealing him to be a kind of humanoid cricket, but lacking wings and wearing a baggy green shirt and pants covered in stuffed pockets. He kept close to the edge and eyed the aliens above them warily. "I have never been honest a day in my life(excepting the present circumstances) and am no friend of you or anyone else! ." Fidgeting on crooked, grasshopper-like legs, the Infraverser glanced constantly between the other two and the aliens. Ana took a few steps closer and pointed to the distant, smouldering fire far below. "We know a quick way to the core of this Motherworld, where we can fully explain and show everything, will you please follow me?" "I..." Tesla and Chase looked at each other, and Chase's mental voice spoke to the group Doubt they are a threat, but can we risk it? Even then, should we get involved? Tesla frowned dubiously at the smiling, confident princess and her friends I say no, we risk getting into something we can't get out of if we start meddling in local politics. Your thoughts, people? Terrifica, you catch all that?

Unless HG_Morrison means Stockholm, NY or something, Sweden seems most likely.

For What Should Not Be Unearthed, Age of Unitron, Extinction Agenda and Blank Space, I'd like to offer Red Moon. Vampire powers and technical expertise! For A Hill of Beans, Rex Quondam, Rexque Futurus, Age of Aquarian and Klaw of Benediction I'd like to offer Dol-Druth The Speaker, visiting alien dignitary and mind-sharing mentat.

GM Please give earned points to Red Moon Never Lose Yourself 2GM posts One Month Mission 3GM posts. Reaching Red 2 GM posts Red Moon Hollow Teeth 3 IC posts The Speaker With One Voice 3 IC posts

Yes! With the giddy thrill of anyone showing off something only they knew about, Atraxia led Jerry with her long, jerking strides down the now-dazzling corridors, with their harshly-straightened bends and ruthlessly-squared floors and ceilings. Readouts and holographic displays followed them silently, folding or projecting out of the walls and collapsing back into them as they passed, all buzzing with alien numerals and letters and graphs and charts and what Meatheral could have sworn was a rerun of an old 70's episode of the Atom Family Adventures show. Her grip on his hand was pincer-sharp and rigid as steel, something even the padding of her terrasuit couldn't disguise, and when the pair slid to a halt in front of an unmarked door the Farsider's hand squeezed down painfully. "This is it, one moment." Releasing her guest, Red Moon slid off a glove to reveal a pale, withered hand with blackened veins. Inserting it into a narrow hole beside the door, there was a faint tone of gentle, solemn music and the door spiraled open. The tools and equipment, so familiar to Atraxia, were thorougly alien to Meatheral's eyes, like a cross between a sci-fi movie set and a dentist's office. Tubes hung from the ceiling and embedded in pulsating crystals, while racks of intricate tools lay beside them in meticulously-arranged rows, containers and pods holding bits of animals, plants, and minerals ranged the walls or lay on tables. Getting too close made more holographic displays pop out, showing what must have been very interesting data on what they held. Wit pardonable pride and a sideways glance concealed by her helmet, the Farsider said "Made it all myself. No largie." Stepping over to a circular control panel she tapped a few buttons, and the dimensions of the formerly-cramped room began to warp and shift dramatically, until the cozy/cramped lab of moments before was spacious enough for two to walk abreast in the narrowest sections. "Was on Earth, gatherng samples. Recent nanotech deposits from extrasystem entities, see?" She guided Jerry through a broadened maze of tables and crystalline pillars to a small canister in the middle of the room. In its depths, two twining, wriggling metal things fought against some invisible force. "A piece of the Gorgon and still-active Communion nanites. Find a way to combine them, and near-infinite computing power! No need for slow, slow quantum computing and everyone can access!" Atraxia spread her gangly arms "All previous methods, obsolete as the concept of self!" The helmet turned to Jerry "What do you think? Exciting, right? Will..." her echoing voice suddenly softened "will your people like that?"

GM His psychic discipline suddenly under seige from angles he had previously only dimly imagined, Chase Atom nonetheless remained composed and calm. At least on the outside, Wayward felt his mental presence in their mind-link as a kind of uncomfortable tightness, like a ship at anchor straining against a restless sea. Regardless, the group made their way unmolested through the dim, cavernous depths of Halluel, the placid organic beauty of the surface nowhere in evidence. Everywhere was shifting plates, thrumming silver towers receding into the far-off(and worryingly visible) core blazing greenly in the unguessable distance below. The living rock of the planet itself quickly began to give way to rounded metal caverns and slowly closing domes sinking into the planet. Between keeping the link steady, his flight consistent, and transmitting to Terrifica what they were seeing, Chase had little energy left for keeping his third eye out for danger. After a few minutes of this travel, Tesla and Chase carrying the others when the footing wasn't sure or existent enough, something began sliding across the mental link between Wayward and Chase, a soft voice, or voices. They're close now Are they dangerous? Are they scaryfolk? Could be BABY SAYS...THEY ONLY WANT...TO LOOK AND SEE We don't know, Motherworld No time. We must know now ...Yes, Ak'Ro. We will go to them There was a faint clatter that caught Val's ear as a single pebble was dislodged somewhere nearby. It was almost drowned out by the grumbling and groaning as metal shrank and rock shifted and sunk. Chase's side of the link registered unimaginable relief, even as his mental voice called to the rest Somebody's close, get ready! Without missing a beat, Tesla flared as she put a glowing golden shield around the party(besides Velocity) as they flew and slowed down perceptibly. "What do you make of this, Dr. Delacroix?" she asked aloud, quite casually, gesturing to a collapsing tube full of young plant and animal life from Halluel coming down from the surface and contained in some kind of jelly, one of the sinking domes receiving it along with several others "Pretty clear to me this whole planet is an artificial construct, what's your take? Testing lab? Some kind of symbiosis?"