Seal of Sedna(IC)

[Ari]

GM

"That's a relief" echoed the voice of the captain "We're going to shut down this comm in a few minutes, I wanted to make sure you would get a message over breathable air. Proceed as you wish, and good luck to you all. Supercape, we're ready for any communiques you wish to send, just aim for the bridge with it whenever you want to inform the crew of something. Ironclad, if you wish we can send you real-time updates of whatever our sensors pick up, which currently extends to two corridors from the center, just fire an electric burst at a frequency of 38HZ three times in as many Earth seconds. Discoverer out" and with a sharp *click* the voice ended.

The humming continued, marked by Ironclad's sensors as coming from many places at once. All of those points were in constant motion, yet there was a regularity to their movements, which contributed to the illusion of a single voice.

Supercape's own enhanced senses quickly revealed an oddity of their surroundings: everything seemed to be slowly changing its weight and mass; not enough to be noticeable to the others, but definitely there, and the change was signalled by an orange glint over the surface of the object.

Paragon had a feeling of vague unease wash over him the moment he materialized, though it was difficult to determine what it was that caused it.

The hallway went on for more than a mile before they saw anything of note. Turning one of the gentle corners that gave you a view of half the hall before you had gotten halfway around the bend, the suddenly walked into a door. That the door had not been there seconds ago was plain, as was the fact that the door didn't match the architecture of the rest of the facility. It was a cycling door that if opened would dilate. It was dark green in color except for the ring of lights around it that flashed a solemn blue at regular intervals. It was of smooth make, had not bumps or scratches, and the door itself was made of many blades.

The humming droned on, a sudden dip in volume announcing a small opening in the wall beside them that extended a white tray intended to hold some small spherical object.

[Supercape]

"This looks like a lock and a key..." said Supercape, folding his arms and clutching his chin thoughtfully. His blue cape curled around him as he contemplated the problem.

"Do we have a key?" he asked his comrades.

"And behind..." he started, before closing his eyes (which was not really required but made the process less taxing) and opening up an entanglement of events between himself and the space beyond. It was complex maths, but he had plenty of practice. In theory, he could entangle two opposite ends of the universe (notwithstanding there were no 'opposites'), but all he needed here was a few yards.

His extraordinary senses quickly picked up the energy patterns just beyond.

"There is a lattice of energy just beyond. Not harmful in itself but no doubt the alien version of Infra-red beams as security devices. I guess we can deal with that when we come to it. But it mean's no punching straight through...the debris will set of the alarm. I speculate on its nature, of course, but it seems a prudent speculation!"

[Paragon]

Taking a good look at the area around the door and an even closer look at the depression Quintessence looks thoughtful. Other than pressing my thumb into the depression I do not have any way to get in, and I think that is exactly what we wanted to avoid unless we have no other alternative. As Supercape said we could smash through the door. Of course that may cause more problems rather then solve them. Does anyone else have any way to open the door?

[Raveled]

Ironclad stepped up and examined the door. "Well. I don't have the same senses as Supercape at my disposal, but I can think of one or two things that might be of help." The armored heroine rotated her wrist and a pair of thin metal rods stuck out suddenly; she took one in either hand and started probing at the crack between the door and the wall. After a moment she glanced around at the rest of the party. "This might take a minute," she said. "Everyone might want to step back. Supercape, please keep monitoring the energy patterns on the other side of the door and let me know if they change."

[Supercape]

Supercape nodded as Ironclad went to work.

"Bravo!" he proclaimed "That's practical science for you!" he clapped his hands. His attention was still with the entanglement from beyond the door.

As the door slid back he held out his hands, barring the way to any advancement by his fellow explorers.

"Hold!" he said in a rather more commanding and formal way than was his nature. But when things where this perilous, his mind tended to focus rather admirably.

"The sensors are still there. Another step and we break them...." he said, peering at, ostensibly, nothing.

"Ironclad, can you disable this? can you even see it?"

[Raveled]

Ironclad sat back at soon as the door slid up and away. She made the metal rods disappear with surprising speed, then peered into the darkness beyond. Her sensors probed and touched the rock and the air, searching for more signs, for any signs, of life. "I'm sorry, Supercape," she said. "Whatever you're dealing with is beyond me." She blinked and thought for a moment. "Although... Can you take us past the alarm, maybe? Just teleport straight past whatever is in our way?"

[Supercape]

Supercape paused.

"That is certainly possible, in theory..." he replied "teleportation that is. However, it's really just folding two places together, connecting them through dimensions other than the classical four. Normally, I wouldn't hesitate...but..."

He peered at the lattice in front of him.

"The fact is, we don't know what we are dealing with. The creators of this facility were extremely advanced, and if they wanted an alarm system here, they didn't want anybody getting through without them knowing. And bending us through here does create quantum events....which might be picked up..."

He considered the problem.

"However, it's the best option we have, to be honest....hold on..."

Extending his arms, he grabbed the exploratory party with his hands, and concentrated. This time, he was going to try and minimise the pecularities that occured with this trick. As much as was possible.

Which may not be possible, he told himself.

There was a giddying distortion of time, space, and several other dimensions, as the team warped and gyrated, and vanished....

[Ari]

GM

The atom-bending Englishman's teleportation efforts were a success..albeit a qualified one. They appeared past the lattice of waves and rays that seemed to make up some kind of security field, and nothing was lost or damaged in the process, but they were short a member. Quintessence had vanished.

At the same time, rather tougher-looking walls slid over the existing ones, and a black light filled the air. Phalanx saw the world shimmer as a tinge of orange overlaid everything, with the tell-tale rumble of a power surge incoming. As well, a faint sensation of decay, the feeling of impending destruction that heralded Terminus energy!

Supercape sensed the coalition of atoms into veritable fingers that poked slight holes in the walls around them, as well as the generation of power from previously dormant battery-like systems secreted behind the walls. Power that had slowly dissolved the batteries.

Ironclad's armor was abruptly alerted to a "Critical Error" on the part of the complex's internal defense array. Apparently a human test subject had been allowed too far inside the facility, and the station computer strongly advised the 'legitimate' personnel to speak the code word of the day, which would erect a personal shield about the speaker that would guard against the 'experimental trans-dimensional defensive energy' that would be unleashed.

As well, a port into the wall about the size of the interface gadgets they had been handed on the Discoverer remained open.

In the center of the facility...

The vision that greeted James' eyes was a mass of tubing, covering the perceivable world in a green dully-glowing maze. In the midst of the roughly spherical space that was a bed, or a table. Whichever it was it was white, unyielding and covered with a soft substance precisely wherever he lay. It was impossible to see what was holding the bed up, though a soft thrum that appeared to come from underneath him and vibrations that corresponded to them suggested an engine of some kind.

He was held to it by gigantic force field clamps that gently but implacably kept him from moving either of his arms or legs. A trio of rams just visible above his torso suggested additional measures where ready in case he managed to thwart the first four.

With a sound of molten metal, a vaguely headish..thing looked down at him. It was connected and flowing through the tubes, looked like a mass of blue lava, and had two distinct faces of a reptilian bent set at opposite ends of the 'head'. With a voice that sounded like a chorus of wild animals all yelling over a phone operator, it said

"Who are you? I have no record of a human test subject of your specifications in my files, are you contraband?"

[Supercape]

"Uh oh..." said Supercape, activating his field of quantum events around him, a sparling of energy signalling its formation.

"Terminus Energy..." he said, with no explanation. Whilst he was more than able to give several lectures worth discussing the particular physical qualities of Terminus Energy in great (and complex) detail, that wasn't needed now.

Everybody knew Terminus Energy, and what it represented.

"...and something here is powering up. And degrading. Basically, expect trouble...."

He looked around.

"Fiddlesticks! Where did Quintessence go? What a foul up! I'm sorry chaps, that usually goes well, but - well, nth dimensional folding with this technology..."

[Raveled]

Ironclad felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the mention of the Terminus. If Omega and his ilk were involved in this, it had just gotten very, very bad indeed. At the same time, her sensors were not attuned to detect such esoteric wave forms, so she couldn't tell where they were emanating from. "Supercape," she called out, her voice quavering slightly. "Any idea where the break-down is happening? Or anything?"

[Supercape]

"I regret to inform you madam..." replied Supercape, giving the armoured heroine a look straight in her eyes (or, to be more precise, visor),"is that the release of energy is coming from right next to us, in a distinctly super-cranial direction!"

And with that he extended a hand, extended his forefinger, and pointed directly above them.

"Which, I think it is fair to say, may be classed as unfortunate news. Very unfortunate. I doubt much good will come of this...."

He cast his eyes upwards to the ceiling.

"I don't know how much time we have got, I don't know what's happening, and I don't know what's ahead. But I do know I would rather get there as soon as possible!"

[Paragon]

Well I must say I am unable to answer that question with any satisfactory answer. My name is Quintessence, I am an enhanced human from the planet earth. I was given a serum by an alien who said he was a Preserver. Does that make me contraband in your opponion? Does being contraband require imprisonment?

[Ari]

GM

Well I must say I am unable to answer that question with any satisfactory answer. My name is Quintessence, I am an enhanced human from the planet earth. I was given a serum by an alien who said he was a Preserver. Does that make me contraband in your opponion? Does being contraband require imprisonment?

A horde of jackals seemed to be trying to get at an elephant while the creature above Quintessence spoke in answer "No, not usually; but there has been a crackdown on the unlawful spiriting-off of humans from your species' homeworld" it explained, in a not unkindly tone "An enhanced human though..that is rather beyond my expertise, not to mention I had been told nothing about what to do should one of your kind visit this place. Presumably, it was thought unlikely you would ever come here considering how little of worth is on this planet. So, while I have no opposition to your existence, I do object to your presence, it distracts me from my work, you see?" sliding through the tubes until it had reached a closer point to Quintessence, it rematerialized in its oozy glory at a comfortable position above James' head.

With a dull groan, the black light of the alarm glowed in the dome. "Oh," said the creature in surprise "looks like the security system caught some more intruders. I do hope they manage to escape" it added nervously to itself before turning to the enhanced human and asking with forced cheer like a swarm of bees in a lion's den "Friends of yours?"

[Raveled]

"Oooooookay, then." Ironclad looked at the ceiling and flexed her metal-clad hands. "We can assume the Preservers were smart enough to know about the Terminus, yes? It would be silly to assume that they built this whole big complex to hold a couple of Omegadrones, but what if it's something more powerful, like an Annhilist? I don't like the idea of letting one of them run around the Solar system. So, shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Step back, Supercape, I'll lead the way on this one." The armored heroine rerouted her suit's power to the servos flight system and fired her thrusters, aiming for the ceiling.

[Paragon]

If I had to guess I would say yes those are my friends. My friends are very capable pof taking care of themselves, I am sure they will be alright. Would you be willing to tell me what your work here consists of? Myabe I or my companions would be of some help to you in compleating it. And as to nothing of value I find that statement icorrect. There is you, a font of knowledge here on this desolate planet. I think we can both agree that knowlege is most valuble. So what is it you were working on again?Quintessence waits patiently looking into this most amazing machine if that it what it is.

[Ari]

GM

The ceiling was effectively unbreakable to Ironclad. It's surface was smooth enough to keep even the slightest hand-hold from being made, and some kind of force-field deflected and dissipated the force of her blows. The energy buildup continued unabated, with the alert requesting proof of identification that Ironclad really DID work on the research ship, evidently unaware of the stationary and terrestrial nature of its habitat.

In the eye of the facility...

"Oh! My work, yes" the creature looked almost..shifty? "S-surely the Lor told you how I was placed here by the Preservers eons ago? Yes, I come from another universe, and I ended up in this one quite by accident" warming up to the telling of his tale it continued "As this dimension doesn't have the right material and chemical setup for my kind to live unaided, I nearly perished before being found by the seeders of life. In exchange for them giving me this place to live I work on new energy sources for them, and I sadly have been quite isolated from the rest of the galaxy, though I have perfect control over this place, and have since time out of mind" it blinked and flickered at Quintessence's pointing out how it and the knowledge it had were intrinsically valuable. "As it happens," it said eagerly, with the tell-tale marks of someone who liked getting attention for their work perhaps in excess of their skill in it "I've been working on fabricating this new kind of energy I encountered while stabilizing a dimensional rift several rotations ago. Take a look at this!" with that, the creature pulled aside a few of the tubes, revealing something to Quintessence that would have frozen the blood of a stronger man: a softly glowing portal to the Terminus!

[Paragon]

AN icy feeling settles in Quintessences chest when he beholds what most people would consider the worst case scenario. Well crap that looks like a portal to Terminus. Things just went from wierd to dire in an instant. I need to convince this being to close that portl before he lets something out. You have impressed me quite a bit already, and this is even more amazing. Unfortunatly I do have some knowledge of what is through that portal. Just by shear luck my people have had dealings with some beings on the other side of that portal. I'm sure would soon discover what it took us so mucklonger to see, that those beings are dangerous beyond all reason. On the oher side of that portal is Terminus. The beings on the other side of the portal have the power to snuf out this entire planet, and that would destroy you. That would be such a great loss to my people I would be devistated. Would you please close that portal for me? With that Quintessence falls quiet with a hopeful look on his face truly hoping that this creature will see reason and understand the danger they were in.

[Supercape]

Supercape's uncanny senses could feel the build up of terminus energy around them. It was not highly dangerous, yet, but it was potent enough to smart, and, given time, even kill.

"The energy build up here...it's getting serious..." he said to Ironclad "I trust you have a good plan for getting us out of here. You always were a whizz with the practical side of things..." he gave her a serious look, pregnant with confidence at her ability.

But also, a look acknowledging the peril.

"In the mean time..." he continued, concentrating hard. He had learned how to project a field of quantum events around him to protect him from the rough and tumble of superhero life, and it was almost a reflex now.

Supercape was actually an incredibly weak mutant. He could only shift around tiny atoms and subatomic particles.

Its just that with his brain and insight, he could do it really really well.

All it needed was a shift. By changing his nudges, he altered the field. It took a lot more effort, his forehead creasing with concentration. But the field expanded, sparkling, and enveloping Ironclad.

"That should keep it off. We are safe, for now..." he muttered.

[Raveled]

Ironclad took a deep breath and studied the walls and floor, turning back to look at the invisible (to her, at least) trap they had avoided so deftly -- or rather that Supercape had gotten them around so easily. She reached out to touch the wall, pushing on it lightly; she didn't really think that busting through the structure room by room was the right idea, but what else could they do? It wasn't they could just materialize a door in place, or even shut off the security systems that were blasting them with radi--

Hm. That was a thought, there. Ironclad closed her eyes inside her helmet and concentrated. She was still carrying the translation device the Lor had given her; she could route her unusual mind through the translator and try to make a connection to the artificial intelligence controlling the complex! It was no sooner concieved of than acted upon, and before long her senses were questing for contact.

[Ari]

GM

"Oh come now!" exclaimed the energy being, rumbling wheezes now accompanying its words "If such a peril existed, the Preservers would have informed me of it, I do believe you're exaggerating the threat this 'Terminus' poses. Rest assured I have taken all necessary precautions to prevent anything from encroaching into ou-your(beg pardon) dimension. There is some minor difficulty with its corrosive tendencies, but I'm confident I've managed to refine it to the point that is no longer a problem. Sorry for inferring you were contraband, by the way" it added apologetically "I haven't met very many of your kind, and only recognized you weren't Lor because of the Preserver technology that altered you emits a signal that makes their technology recognize you" it examined a flat panel previously hidden on the wall, somewhere behind its myriad of tubes "Huh! Looks like your comrades are doing quite well! One of them has made some kind of shield, looks to be repelling the new energy quite well! Extraordinary" it muttered, clearly fascinated more by how the Quantum Mover's power was defending against the corrosive Terminus energy than the fact that the two humans were still in grave danger...

Ironclad's suit, assisted by the Lor's translation device, had no difficulty navigating the computer systems of the Preservers, who appeared to have a knack for incredibly efficient software design. The security system was controlled by an array of easily-discerned programs that monitored a signal sent from the center of the base. If that signal were cut, it would activate the security on that floor. The 'off' switch might as well have been marked as such. The flashing alarm died instantly, and a shimmer in the air was followed by a message sent to Ironcald's armor: "unable to comply. deactivating ship-board infiltration countermeasures"

The feeling of being worn away also dissipated, something not noticed until it ceased. It had even been felt through Supercape's shield...

[Raveled]

Ironclad nodded as the malign energies faded, showing teeth under her helmet. "Well, who knew? The Preservers created user-friendly interfaces." She paused and thought quickly for a moment. "Actually, hold on. If it's this simple to turn off the intruder system, maybe it can help us even more?" She reached out with her mind once more, making contact with the computer system again. She sent a simple request for a full map of the complex; even the Lor hadn't been able to give them that.

[Ari]

GM

It was easy to locate and access the stored maps of he complex(though the computer mentioned that such things were kept for the benefit of 'enfeebled minds'), which illuminated one of the central oddities of the station: the whole thing was layered at seemingly arbitrary depths, with some floors being only a meter above each other, and the first two over a kilometer apart. That aside, the map clearly explicated the directions that needed following to reach the center of the facility, a site identified as a 'Hazardous Reaction Containment Field' with an urgent request to all personnel aboard the ship that they not so much as open the dilation doors a crack, in case harmful energies were let free into the other decks. Between their current location and the center was over fifty mile-long passages that were still being slowly filled with deadly Terminus energy little less ultimately perilous than that fired by Omegadrones. Not to mention the vast pits that had collapsed into being, the areas where gravity had been turned inside out and a corridor near the center marked 'Impassable', without further comment.

[Raveled]

Ironclad turned to a nearby wall and projected a hologram of the map there, marking their current location with a glowing red beacon. "Whoever made this was insane," she said. "Or at least, I can't see any reason to the design. A full kilometre between levels? What are they trying to stop?" She shook her head and leaned in closer, peering at the map. "As near as I can tell, whatever we're looking for is at the center, but I can't see any way around those Terminus energy fields. Is there any chance you could deflect them or absorb them, Supercape?"

[Supercape]

"Never tried" said Supercape, floating by the suited heroine. "But it shouldn't be impossible...just a matter of inverse paramatric extrapolation through n-dimensional space. If I set up a negative feedback loop though the M-brane..."

He coughed and caught himself.

Then realised that Ironclad would actually know what he was talking about...

However, just this once, his lecture would have to be cut short. The energy build up was dangerous, and his quantum shield would not hold forever.

"I mean, yes, I can. Won't be easy though. In fact, it will be damn hard. Keeping up this field around us too...which, incidentally, I have every intention of doing!"

[Paragon]

Quintessence looks around the room in hopes of seeing something that will tell him more about this creature. Great I'm stuck in a room with a computer or alien of some kind that does not know how dangerous Terminus is and will not listen to me. I was wondering if you had a name? It would only be polite to dress you by your proper name. Also now that you find that I am not contraband would you mind letting me up? These bindings are quite uncomfortable. Quintessence patiently waits for a reply while he gets ready to try and break the restraints if this entity will not let him free.