ic Big In Europe

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Afternoon, November 17th

Traveling across the North Sea, heading for Norway

 

Once again, a rescue mission. The members of Rex Atom's Atom Academy squad has spent the time since the group formed on a number of smaller and large scale missions, but now, they are joined by the newest member of their squad: Levity, gravity controller and pilot extraordinaire. 

 

A student at the Atom Academy noticed some strange readings caught by a satellite they had helped send into orbit, which seems to originate from the mountains of Norway. Exotic energy pulses from deep within the mountains, that spell out the morse code .../---/... , but their point of origin should be solid bedrock.

 

A mystery, just the kind that the Atom Academy specializes in.

 

They will reach the site soon, but they have time for the final preparations.

[RocketLord]

Rex Atom

 

This isn't the first time that Rex has dealt with exotic energies. He is, in fact, someone you could call an expert in the field of unknowable exotic energies, a living reactor from his own brush with other energies.

 

He has been uncharistically silent for the duration of the flight, responding to the others, but otherwise not starting conversations. He has, instead, spent his time going over the readings. If they know morse code, then it makes sense that it is man made, but that would mean that someone has harnessed those energies, but to what end? And what kind of trouble could they be in? 

 

The readings did not indicate that these energies were dangerous, but on the other hand, they must be coming from deep within the mountains, so it makes sense if the readings they got are just what remains... so what exactly can they do?

[Poncho]

(Devon 51)

 

Dwayne didn't mind flying, but it wasn't his favorite way to travel. 

 

He'd done some training with the helicopter rescue as an EMT, but planes he had no knowledge of, and he wasn't fond of riding in any sort of transportation he didn't understand how to operate. It wasn't a phobia, really, he wasn't panicking, but he didn't like it. An amusing contridiction with 'his' superpower; the fantastical watch that turned him into a variety of alien creatures that he didn't understand at all.

 

He had made mention of not liking planes when they got on the airplane, but once they got on, he maintained his usual style of not trying to get to excited about anything. He had brought a small chessboard with him and offered to play games with any of the others; Dwayne wasn't a master at Chess by any means, but he was intermediate at it, honed from years of losing to his dad. At times, when he wasn't playing with others, he'd close his eyes and rest, listening to an audio book, or he'd sit in his chair and read, one of le Carré's novels. He tried to keep himself busy, keep his mind sharp. It was just how he always worked. Even when he slept, he was always fast to wake up if he needed to, from years of training and work. 

 

"I hope we brought an excavator if we're digging through bedrock." he said to Rex as he closed his book, then looked over at the others. "Unless someone's hiding the ability to turn into a giant mole." then he looked at his watch and remembered, well, he could probably find one, it just might take awhile. 

[The Sailor]

Levity

 

The North Sea... She did NOT like flying over this airspace. Rough seas make rescue difficult even on a good day... and the cold water is quite a shock to the system. She looked down at her suit, making sure her zippers were closed up tight... She did NOT want to tread water in the North Sea today, particularly if her suit started leaking.

 

She holds the flight stick of Atom Academy's transport steady like an ace. Grinning she turned on her mic. "I hope at the very least everyone paid attention to the safety briefing before we left HQ." She said with a sigh. "The North Sea is as angry as it gets... as usual."

 

She did hear Devon's comment. "Excavator? Heh... I think I can dig us through some rock... maybe. Then again I haven't tried to pulverize bedrock before with my gravity blasts."

 

She reached over and grabbed a sandwich from a small insulated bag. "Anyways..." She said while chewing her ham and cheese sandwich. "We got some time before we get into Norwegian ATC airspace. Tryin' to get my lunch in order before I have to talk to some chirpy air traffic controller." She said, putting her sandwich back when she felt her stick shake slightly from nearby turbulence. "Watch for some chop back there... Sort of playing a game of give and take up here with this crosswind. Hopefully it's smooth in coach back there?"

 

"I just wonder how a distress signal is getting through bedrock... that's one heck of a PLB."

Edited December 16, 2024 by The Sailor

[Tiffany Korta]

Madame Raven

Like an angry shadow, a Raven Wing cut the Atlantic skies following behind Atom transporter. Only they knew it was there because they had (for now) the crafts transponder code, Callie might be less paranoid than some Raven, but not by much. It wasn't that she mistrusted Levity, she had to admit she was a much better pilot, but an extra craft couldn't hurt in such an unknowable situation.

 

 

"Everything looks fine out here! Still not sure why you wouldn't let me play along with your I Spy game!" she added completely deadpan, she learned such things from the best!

 

"Could be they're creating some sort of resonance in the rock, or bypassing it completely with some kind of quantum tunnelling. We'll probably know more once we get closer to the mountains." physics wasn't her strongest subject, but she'd done a little reading up during the flight. Just in case it became relevant later, though this time it was the Guides, not her father that had instilled that idea in her!

[Kaede Kimura]

The Dreamer

 

The Dreamer had taken Devon up on a few rounds of chess although she was also hardly an expert, made worse by occasionally being distracted shooing dreams away from the board. A tiny dream unicorn persistently trying to get the attention of one of her knights had led to the game taking a hiatus.

 

She was trying to stop a dreamed labrador from digging in the corner of the plane when Devon asked about digging. "I could probably dream of a digging machine. Or perhaps of a tunnel, although I have never tried to change large masses before." Levity's comment about pulverizing the rock drew a thoughtful hum.

 

When Levity mentioned the weather getting choppy she paused a moment to consider the movement of the plane. "I have not noticed any issues. You are a commendable pilot, Levity."

 

She however stayed quiet as the Dream of the Raven discussed ways the signal could be passing through the rock, being far beyond her area of understanding. She was quite surprised at the persistence of the Dream. Had she somehow made a new permanent Dream, like the Carnifex? If so it was a relief that this one was more heroic.

[The Sailor]

Levity

 

"I wager we should try a bit of everything. Would make sure everyone is capable of shouldering their load without straining themselves. Although considering that the signal is a typical morse code signal of distress, maybe time is of the essence."

 

She leaned back, piloting the transport was getting easier as she got used to the controls. If she was in the Peregrine II this would be a cinch, but this just had more room. She knew they would be entering Norwegian airspace shortly, so she took a sip of her drink to clear out any frogs in her throat, then closed up her helmet. It was time to get that business face on.

[Poncho]

(Devon 51)

 

"Ah, come on now..." he mumbled at the little unicorn. "That guy's all wood, he doesn't pay attention to anything." He said, slightly sarcastically as he shooed at the little unicorn. "There's not a thought in his head." He said with a shake of his own before he returned his attention to the others.

 

"How common is Morse code distress signals? It was designed by humans, right? So whatever is using it would need to be at least passingly familiar enough with human context to know that the code exists and intelligent enough to learn it and use it. So it could be military. Or a passing hobbyist. Excluding the rock issue, I mean."

 

 

[RocketLord]

Rex Atom

 

"Or it could be an alien that's crashlanded after researching the Earth," Rex adds to the speculation, finally looking up.

 

Standing up from his position, he moves up to Levity and points to the control panel. "You don't have to worry about the Norwegian air control. Just flip that switch and we'll start transmitting the Atom Academy signal. We got everything cleared for our entry already."

 

Turning back, so he can face everyone on the plane aside from Levity, he rests a hand on Levity's seat, to make sure she knows he's adressing her too.

 

"So, we got no idea about what it'll be, but it sounds like a distress signal. The Norwegian authorities would prefer that we do not damage their nature, so let's see what we can find out once we're down."

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Flying across the North Sea and heading towards the signals point of origin, it's easy enough for Levity to guide them in to a landing point. The plane can engage VTOL to land safely, without needing a runway, at least.

 

As they land, the group finds themselves in front of a massive mountain. Bedrock. The signal clearly comes from within, as any gear that they have brought will confirm.

 

The question is... what will they do to try and find their way to the source of the signal?

[Poncho]

(Dwayne)

 

"Hrmm. There's a few possibilities for how I could try and pierce this without damaging the rock. I could go Ghost and move through the rock, take a look around. Or I could try and bounce through it with super senses from one of my other bodies. But I don't know if either of those would work, and if Ghost gets trapped in the rock, well, let's not talk about that possibility. And there's no promises my senses would penetrate the bedrock, or if I could see what was causing the issue; I might end up seeing right through the problem and not recognizing it."

 

He had gotten up from his chair and was pacing now, looking at a map.

 

"Removal without damaging, that means that we'll need to figure out how to get them out on the other side even if we can get in without damaging the rock formation. That's complicated." he looked at Rex.

 

"But the lives of sentients should come before a pile of rocks, if we're having to make the choices, right?"

[The Sailor]

Levity

 

"Maybe we should approach this sideways." Levity said. "Bedrock in of itself is hard to move, right? I mean construction companies don't even bother moving the stuff. So whatever got in there was pretty advanced tech to start with."

 

"But what if..." She says, starting to walk to the mountain slowly making sure everyone could hear her. She turned to the group. "What if appearances are deceiving? If something has enough advanced tech to get inside a mountain, without leaving any obvious visible sign of actually getting in there, what does that suggest?"

 

"Two options. The first they teleported into the rock itself... but that would not be the greatest thing to have happen... two things can't occupy the same place in spacetime. Nothing would remain TO transmit a distress signal."

 

"So that suggests option Two. What do you do when you don't want to be seen?" She crosses her arms. "I have SERE training in making myself not seen... I'm no scientist, though, but if you have the power to transmit through bedrock, I got a feeling somewhere around here, there's a hidden entrance. With fancy tech doing the Camo work."

 

"I had time to think while we flew here. I got a feeling we might have a scientist in distress, but they're on OUR level. So this begs two questions... Am I correct? and How does one find a hidden entrance if I am correct? And potentially a third... WHY would a Scientist want to hide out in a rustic setting like this?"

"As they say... Test the Hypothesis, and Find results."

Edited January 3 by The Sailor

[Tiffany Korta]

Madame Raven

 

Callie tapped the rock thoughtfully, she didn't have much to offer here but crazy ideas, which with the Atoms and raven resources might not be a completely crazy idea.

 

"Do we have the tech on hand to get sonar-like images of inside the mountain? It is producing soundwaves after all!"

 

Time might be of the essence though, so much that they might have to resort to even more crazy ideas, such was the way of thing at the Atom Academy!

[RocketLord]

Rex Atom

 

Going through the bedrock won't be easy, it seems. The signal is down there, coming out from somewhere.

 

Rex looks at the mountain as the rest of the team gives their input. He pulls up his goggles.

 

"It's not just a pile of rocks, Devon. I don't think destroying them would make us very popular. And no, we don't have anything like that with us, Raven. I could build something, but it would take some time. Besides, I think it's just an energy signature. Nobody has reported anything about any sound."

 

He switches the goggles away from infravision. There's noting on that spectrum. 

 

"Anne might have the right idea. Either camouflage, or something that teleported in. Camouflage would be best for us, but... I'm not seeing anything."

 

Radio waves, and then... another energy wave hits.

[RocketLord]

GM

 

The entire group feels it. The ground moves underneath their feet, like something is rhythmically shaking the area around them.

 

It does not feel quite like an earthquake. It feels deliberate, planned. 

 

For a moment, any technology they are wearing, including Rex's goggles, glitches, as the waves of energy spread out and split around them, before it all stops again.

[Poncho]

(Devon)

 

"I'm not suggesting we blow it up first thing." Dwayne said calmly. "I'd rather not damage the environment, but I don't want to let people suffer if there's a choice; I'd wreck my house to save people in danger, wouldn't you do the same?" he asked before flipping through his watch. 

 

"Let's see...Let's see..." he hit a few buttons and eventually seemed happy with his decision. He pressed the enter button and his body started to change as he was enveloped in a blue light.

 

 

He had turned back into the bat creature, a humanoid shaped and sized bat with leathery wings connecting between his fingers and his arms. Belfry let out several clicks from his mouth, then turned his attention towards the wall of rock, trying to penetrate it with his advanced senses.