Sturm und Dr... Archeville [IC]

[Dr Archeville]

Date: May 5th, 2010 (a Wednesday)

Low 51, high 79. Clear skies. More here.

Doktor Viktor Archeville was slightly irritated. He knew that he had enemies, and he knew they'd come after him, and his company. Everyone who worked at ArcheTech knew that, too -- he made it a point to emphasize the potential hazards of working there, but all who did so felt the benefits outweighed the risks; all of them were extremely dedicated to their fields.

But he hadn't expected Dracula to attack!

Days later, and clean up was still being carried out, though all the public areas were cleared; appearances had to be kept up.

It was while overseeing the implementation of several new rat-catching robots that he received word of a visitor from his past.

[Starsign]

Rycon walked into the entry level building of ArcheTech. It all seemed familiar to her, as if she'd been here before. She looks around the grand entry, seeing the workers and other clients, some of them seemed cautious, like as if they had been given a warning through a past event. Rycon felt a bit out of place here, she didn't see herself worthy of such a view. Yet she had been expected, and she should have known it when she came to Freedom City. "To think... that my past would catch up to me..." she spoke quietly under her breath.

Rycon walks up to the representative counter, waiting for the person there to notice her. When he did, Rycon stated, "My name is Rycon. I have been sent here by Dr. Archeville." She hoped this whole thing isn't a bad misunderstanding or sick joke.

[Dr Archeville]

"Of course, sir. If you'll just have a seat over there," the receptionist nodded towards some padded chairs near one window, "while we get a room set up for you."

A few moments later, the receptionist called Rycon back over, "he'll meet you in room 325. That's on the third floor. Take this," she instructed as she handed over a laminated visitor's pass, attached to a lanyard so it could be worn around the neck, "and go to the elevators down the hall, there," she pointed to the two hallways branching off behind the reception desk. "When you get there, there'll be signs indicating which way you should go; the signs are keyed to the visitor's pass, so don't lose it!"

"Have a nice day!," she chirped as she waved Rycon on.

The elevator ride was very smooth, and the "signs" the receptionist had mentioned were glowing arrows that appeared on the floor and walls as Rycon stepped off. They lead her to a small waiting room, not very different from one seen in a regular doctor's office.

After a few moments more of waiting, the man she'd come to see appeared at the doorway.

"" he said warmly (and in German), offering his hand to shake, "

This is a nice treat, I so rarely see patients so long after I have helped them!

There are some interesting options for us, given what we already know of her. Long-term study of metahuman development is something still poorly understood. This of the prestige I'll get for such findings!

Think of the countless generations of metahumans I could aid!

Bah!

[Starsign]

Rycon shows a smile of content and joy upon seeing the Dr. Archeville she met years ago. She extends her hand to shake with the Doctor's as she spoke in German, "" She slowly takes her hat and cloth off to reveal her face. Dr. Archeville knew her well, there was little point in hiding her identity here.

"" Her smile slowly faded as she spoke. "" Rycon took a seat in the nearby chair as she discussed about the arrest of her father, her and her mother's escape to the cabin in America, and the move to Freedom City, with her mother dying in the process. She held strong to keep tears falling from her eyes, and to reside calmness in her voice.

[Dr Archeville]

Oh! That is so very sad! Poor girl.

Yeah, yeah, 'poor girl,' lost her daddy because of overly restrictive tech laws. Bah!

Her father is incarcerated, and her mother is dead. Does that not remind you of anyone?

... bah!

Archeville listened to Ashley's tale, saying nothing until she finished. "

[Starsign]

Rycon felt a little better letting her past out of her head. It can be a difficult thing to do for her, but in the end she is always glad to tell her story. ""

The subject of the mobsters wasn't something that she was entirely focused about. "" Rycon focused for a moment to remember the incident. ""

Rycon paused for a moment to remember the mobsters. "" Rycon paused once more. "< My mom pushed me away, telling me to run, shouting that one word over and over again. 'run'... I did so, turning back to see my mom falling over from a stab... no, multiple stabs from a blade or knife of sorts.>"

Rycon quietly sighed and stayed silent, "Huh, how ironic," she thought. "To use weapons of similar variety that brought down my mother..."

[Dr Archeville]

Stabbing? That's rather odd.

Agreed, and, arguably, makes the trauma worse for Ashley here.

Archeville stroked his chin in thought, "". The Doktor cocked his head slightly, ""

He straightened his neck, "". He smiled at her, "

[Starsign]

Rycon closed her eyes and thought for a moment "An interest in knives...? Could he... No, there's no proof yet, but..." She was confused on this attack, something seemed to be connected, but it was so vague, it was like a coincidence.

Rycon snapped back to reality once the subject of arriving came up. "" Back in Germany, Dr. Archeville took time to study and teach her the ways of her powers, it's thanks to him that Rycon has control over it and hadn't gone mad with power or delude her from the responsibilities of such... unique skills.

[Dr Archeville]

Oh, that is right, I was called away from the follow-up consultations due to the attack by Panzermensch.

Ohhh yeah. Heh, I still remember the look on his face when I cut his target sensors with recordings of Henny Youngman's acts.

"", Archeville replied excitedly. "

The Doktor picked up a PDA-like device lying on the counter and began entering data, presumably information on Ashely and the types of tests he would be running.

[Starsign]

Rycon spoke in a clam tone, now over talking about her past. "" She let her hand churn with white electricity before absorbing it back into her body.

"" Rycon wonders, "I talk like my powers are a separate entity in itself... But it is just electricity under my control..."

[Dr Archeville]

Pft, weak fool! Try harder!

Oh, cut her some slack. Some emotional trauma is to be expected in her, and such can lead to 'power blockage'.

""

[Starsign]

Rycon leaned back a little to relax a bit. "" She puts her hands down to her sides, and focused as her hands start to glow with electricity. As she focuses more and tensed her muscles, the electricity slowly grows bigger, until they refuse to grow any further.

Rycon let her body relax as the electricity retreats back into her body. She makes a quiet sigh. "" She looks straight at Dr. Archeville, sitting straight up again., "

[Dr Archeville]

Of course I can find it -- I'm Doktor Archeville!

To feel that way for so long, though... that must be difficult. I hope it is not indicative of some greater problem!

"

"" The Doktor tapped his chin with the stylus, going through all the procedures and treatments he would have done to cure Ashley of her original problem, then focused on which of those would give her electrical abilities as a side-effect. "

[Starsign]

Rycon watches Dr. Archeville's hand writing as she responds "" She wondered "Was telling him about Danielle a good idea...?"

Rycon's head dropped a bit upon hearing medical files. "" She took off the coat in case the Doctor needed it.

[Dr Archeville]

"" the Doktor replied, nodding. His face then broke into a manic grin, ""

Let's see, I'll need to hack into a few databases to find-

No, no hacking. At least, not until such is a last resort. There is much we can get via legitimate channels, it is one reason I built ArcheTech in the first place.

Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

"" Archeville said as he took it and hung t nearly on a hook on the wall, "" he said as he retrieved his "Electromagnetic Screwdriver" from an inside pocket of his labcoat, ""

Archeville made a few adjustments to his gadget, then -- once she was ready -- began slowly waving it over her head.

[Starsign]

Rycon had a smile of confidence on her face, "" She sits up on the table and lies down, closing her eyes. She is no stranger to these examinations, ""

She remembers all the examinations about her body, how scientists tried to figure out how her powers worked in public conventions, somehow evading authorities, and making themselves and her look like fools and fakes when nothing new could be found out. Dr. Archeville was different, he found things out, he discovered the source of her powers. He did it away from prying eyes, and Ashley had no idea how he did it... And then her father was arrested.

[Dr Archeville]

""

Though I could always sell the recordings on the black market. I'm sure there's a desire for such information.

... you could, yes, but how would it benefit you? You are already ludicrously wealthy, and if it gets out that the recordings were yours, our credibility would nosedive.

... fine.

Archeville murmured a bit as he passed his scanner over her, checking and re-checking the readings. Much of what he saw was familiar, triggering memories of the work he'd done with her so many years ago, and he was still impressed by the work Doctors Rycnov, Anluk, Conveir, and the others had done.

""

He zoomed in on a tiny spot. It was a tiny cybernetic implant, and appeared non-functional.

Was that there when we worked on her?

I am not sure. We did not get any deep brain scans then, most of the work we did was with her peripheral nervous system.

""

[Starsign]

Rycon's eyes opened in surprise to the "Spot" in her brain. "" She tried to remember if something like that was ever there, if any scientist found out about it before. But nothing could come up.

"

[Dr Archeville]

"" He offered her his hand to ride from the table. ""

Shaaaame on you, lying to the girl like that! Tsk, tsk, tsk!

I do not want to throw too much at her at once. I feel it is best to bring her up to speed slowly.

A short walk down the hall saw them in a bigger room, with a large MRI-like device at one wall.

""

Moments later, Ashley was slid head-first into the machine. She now knew what a bullet felt like when it was loaded into the chamber of a revolver.

"" Archeville's voice crackled over the intercom, ""

Five minutes later, Ashley was sitting by Archeville's side, looking at the recorded scan of her brain, and of the tiny artificial device nestled deep inside. The scanner showed it was clearly an inorganic structure, a cybernetic implant of some sort, and completely nonfunctional.

[Starsign]

Rycon saw the big device at the wall. "Well, this answers one of my questions," She quietly stated in a deadpan-like manner. Removing jewlery wasn't a problem for her, as she had none on her. She never liked those things, especially the piercing ones, they get in the way of combat.

As she slides into the machine, she thought, "Sheesh, this better not be a cannon of some sort..." Following that, she just relaxes and let's the scanning take over.

After the scan finishes, Rycon asks, ""

It was all getting confusing for her. "

[Dr Archeville]

"" the Doktor remarked. ""

Well, she could have been awake for parts, bringing her out of the anesthetic sleep long enough to test their progress.

Or she could just be a dumb kid.

""

[Starsign]

"Hmm..." Rycon thought, "Gaps in my memory? The only gaps I know of are anything right before the operation."

"" Rycon started doubting her abilities, then remembered "There's no conclusive proof yet... But how long could a device be inside my head without notice...?" Her last operation before she left Germany was with Dr. Archeville, and unless he is hiding something, he never found anything back then. "Ugh... this is giving me a headache." Rycon thought as she decided to hold off on figuring it out.

On the subject of the nonfunctional device, "

[Dr Archeville]

""

Or it could be a tracking device. Or some sort of control chip that was intended to make her a puppet.

For both our sakes, I hope not. Because if it is one of those, then our tampering with it could draw attention from the wrong type of people.

""

[Starsign]

Rycon crossed her arms in thought, ""

[Dr Archeville]

"" he replied. ""

If it is a control chip, and I can get it to work, under a frequency of my choosing-

If it is one, we will remove it, unless doing so would cause her any harm. If doing so would, we will leave it in, but inoperative.

"" he added with a wink, ""