ic Graduation Proclamation: Sound and Fury

[Tiffany Korta]

Daedalus Building, Claremont Academy, Bayview, Freedom City

Monday 1st June 6:00 am

At this time of the year most technology lab’s would be completely silent and quiet shut up as students set their mind on “more important” less scholarly subjects. But Claremont wasn’t you most typical school and various technological devices hummed away of flashed little light in the darkness. Though unusually no one else was working in the lab right now, either from a very early start or still there from the night before.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Tiffany Korta

[The Sailor]

--A few hours prior... after the last class--

Sakurako was working on a trinket... she had been up most of the past couple days... she had wanted to get her special project before the yachting trip near the end of the month. She hated leaving an important project like developing a life support bubble that could help a few people around her. The tight situation with the freighter rescue made Sakurako think of many possible bad situations. And hearing of several vacuum injuries of non-powered workers on The Lighthouse after the alien attack, she knew she had to put her best foot forward with her genius.

"Confound it... By Cousteau's Aqualung..."

She just couldn't get the field set right to contain the oxygen generated by her suit at the proper pressure, AND block radiation. She had her suit on, but she couldn't look any more deflated at her situation.

She steepled her fingers, opening her helmet, the darkened room's few lights and the fading sun of the day reflecting off of her data glasses. She lost herself in thought. "What am I missing... people are gonna need my invention to save them!"

She looks over her schematics. "I'll take a nap..."

--Now...--

Sakurako wakes up, the dawn waking her. She yawns as she stretches out, wiping sleepers from her eyes. "Well... some other time..."

She stands up, setting her favorite labcoat on the chair. "Sometimes it pays to take a look at a situation hours later..."

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia stared up at the morning sky.  Her body absently floating in the pool.  She had snuck off campus in the heat of the night to cool her head.  Not, that she was alone in that regard.  It seemed plenty of her friends needed time to reconcile with the pending festivities of the day.  Or perhaps they were just like Errant and getting a head start on patrolling.

It was an odd mixture of fear and excitement.  Graduation.  A seemingly benign event.  But, for the princess of Atlantis it also signaled her return to the undersea kingdom.  Away from her friends.  From sprawling adventure and near death scenarios.  Which despite what others may think, the princess would dearly miss.  

While the idea of servants and massive undersea castles did have appeal, Thaelia had grown comfortable with her role living in two worlds.  And she wasn't quite sure she was ready to give that up.  Sinking into the depths of the pool Thaelia smacked her face a couple times.  The King himself would come to attend her graduation.  She could not afford to wallow in mellow dramatic concern she had to be excellent.

Besides, she had an appointment to keep.

*       *       *

If not for the massive height differential, slightly olive skin, and the dark hair Thaelia was the spitting image of Thetis on her graduation day.  Speeding across campus in a one piece bathing suit without lick of concern for the temperature.  There was much advice Thaelia had mulled over in the past few weeks.  Not least of which was Erin's.  Though Thaelia couldn't bring a gaming console to Atlantis she could easily drop it off in California before heading home.  Giving her excuse to visit her former roommate.

That was were Sakurako came in.  Thaelia had explained the plight of fragile video game consoles in the hands of an easily excitable superhumanly strong girl.  And Saku endeavored to invent the controller that could handle the Glamazon's ever increasing might.  Making her way to the Daedalus building, because of course Sakurako would be in the Daedalus building, Thaelia set about seeking out her genius underclassman.

Calling out into the halls without a single bit of consideration for the time of the day.  "Sakurako!  Have you accomplished your morning tribulations of metalworking?  Even Hephaestus lays his hammer down some time."

[The Sailor]

The Controller of Power...

It took no bit of time to put together, but the research on the standard resistances of the controller's internal springs was a tripping point. It took 5 hours of phone calls, pulling what few contacts Hinocorp had in the third-party controller industry, and dismantling three different controllers to find the right metals to give a proper resistance to prevent her gaining an unfair advantage to a "gamey" button set-up, but the fortitude to take the full-on onslaught of the Glamazon. She seriously considered waterproofing concepts for her console itself, but that seemed a bit... overkill for what was requested.

A controller fit for an Olympian. What she got was a controller using the most creative uses of space-age alloys, electromagnetically balanced gyroscopes, springs made of metals designed to frame the gimbal system of the engines on the new Orion space capsules, and plastics derived through breakthroughs in making derivatives of Graphene. Right down to the ruby and garnet like finish that made it look like it was a snapshot of the heart of a red giant star frozen in time.

She puts on her labcoat, closing the faceplate on her helmet of her trademark suit for dramatic effect as she stepped out, it's form growing out of a nanite lattice-work that was reminiscent of a honeycomb of light that rounded out into a sphere at a near perfect calculation of PI.  "I'm no child of Hephaestus, Daughter of Poseidon. I am but a literal Daughter of Science." And it seemed so with the electrical filaments tracing the stripes of the sailor collar of her suit as well as the "seams" on her helmet. It seemed that her suit screamed more and more of the potential miracles... and troubles she would unleash in her possibly lengthy superheroine career.

She reached into her pocket. "You still owe me one match... Then again... after you saved me in the pool a little after I enrolled here... I wager you don't owe me much." Ultra Hero Fighter 4... Sakurako's not had the chance to test Thaelia's talents... but she wasn't sure she could lock her in. "We can settle the duel online... Lag won't be an issue."

You could almost hear the music as she pulled out the controller... Sakurako was unleashing a sword forged in the heart of a neutron star... an unerring arrow blessed with the benediction of a holy warrior... "I wager you will find this to your liking. Knowing your preference of console I based the overall layout on "The Duke"... The most refined first party controller ever developed. This... is "The Duke" reforged. This... is "Duke Crimson". You'll never find a more worthy controller for your hands."

She hands it over to her. "This won't fail you for a long, long time. But I will periodically need to have you plug it into a laptop to upload it's diagnostics to me. So I can see how it's performing. I can detect flaws that crop up pretty fast that way."

Edited May 10, 2015 by Osprey

[Brown Dynamite]

"Lag?"  Thaelia asked curiously.  "Worry not, the Daughter of the Seas always settles her debts.  We shall play to your heart's content."  The sound of enthusiasm in her voice of course gave up how excited to play the game the Atlantean was.  Hardly the sound of someone who was pained by the task of having an opponent regardless of the medium.  

"Oh!  At least until eleven.  Then I must retrieve my gown from the services of drying."  She stopped to ponder out loud.  "Perhaps, I can further repay the debt further with proper swimming lessons in the future."  She didn't have Giang's first aid knowledge so Thaelia never officially took up one of the student life guard positions.  But, that never stopped her from diving into the pool when the need arose.

Or from offering to help students make sure the need never arose.  The Atlantean then reached out to stare at Duke.  Not sure who the Duke was.  Probably some great electronic based hero for his exploits to have earned him such reverence that he would be timelessly honored in entertainment giving form.

Granted, if she actually knew how trends in technology worked Thaelia would be aware of how much of a stretch timeless came to video game consoles and controllers.

[The Sailor]

Sakurako smiled. "Congratulations on graduation, by the way. That time will come for me soon enough. Although to be honest my scholastic career is up in the air after here. Not sure if I want to join the military, continue into college, or go full time superhero."

She sighed. "All the time in the world and I can't decide where to start."

"And thanks for the offer on the swimming lessons. I usually try to get more confident in the simulator where I can have hyper-oxygenated water so if I do have issues I won't drown. Although the sensation of breathing a liquid medium is..."

Sakurako shivered. "Perish the thought. Let's just say I also like having someone there, and Casey is generally busy."

"So... Actually I'd like to actually hang around today, maybe accompany you to the cleaners. Then go get some lunch." Sakurako said, chewing on what looked like a granola bar. "I can cover my bill. Trust me."

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia smiled.  "Thank you.  Even though it is the day of my graduation, I do not know what I am to do either.  I would speak to the king into an arrangement which would allow me to serve as an ambassador to the surface.  He served as one when attached to the Freedom League.  It is a subject that leads me most nervous.  Still, you have time left to allow experience colour your future post graduation choices."

She considered Sakurako's offer for a moment.  "Certainly.  If you wish to spend the day with me, I will not oppose.  Most of my grade level seems to be most occupied."  In fact the Atlantean had stopped by Cerys' room to see if she wanted to hit up the cafeteria earlier in the morning.  Well before she got comfortable in the pool.

But, no one was there.  Sam was busy too.

[The Sailor]

"Yeah, the strange thing about me is my academics are solidly finished, and my last PE class isn't until tomorrow. So... I got time."

Sakurako was correct about that. She had a habit of completely burning through her academics, only to dread having to put on her gym uniform. Then again lately she's been feeling the need to pick up on that slack. "Then again I might hit the gym later to try to get this nerdy physique upgraded. I need to get them gains!"

Sakurako flexed in a silly manner, trying to look like a body-builder. "But seriously I need to start lifting some weights here and there. Felt sort of embarrassed that I couldn't lift a simply dummy out of the water while flying... I mean, come on! If I can't lift that, how can I lift a person for a rescue?"

Sakurako sighed hoping her physique could be improved... it wasn't like technology.

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia didn't understand the gains reference.  Using context clues she figured it a reference to getting in shape and left it at that.  But, she wasn't sure what was being gained.  Perhaps muscle mass maybe simply strength in general.

"I am most surprised.  You have a sharp mind. Exercise is almost entirely a mental task.  With proper form and dedicated time, you shall be lifting bodies in no time."  Of course that sounded easy to say when one could throw a car out of the city.  Actually, aside from Saku she didn't know anyone who couldn't lift more than their own body weight overhead.

"Let us be off."  The first thing on the agenda would obviously be getting a round or two of gaming out of the way.  Priorities were important.  Then they would be free to run around the city.

[The Sailor]

"Very well, I'm not against going a few rounds." Sakurako said with a smile. "And I think while I'll have time to get some extra muscle, maybe I should work on enhancing my lifting capacity in my suit as well. Not everything can get raised by my EMWand." She said, flipping her EMWand in her hand. "Then again, what I've managed to move at a distance with this thing is extremely, extremely beyond my highest expectations."

She rested her hands on the lapels of her labcoat. "I love having time off. Hopefully this summer will be filled with lots of time at the beach, and maybe even some time on the water in a sailboat or something."

She massaged her arm. "Sort of miss the sailing trips on the weekend with my folks. Being here has changed things."

[Tiffany Korta]

As the pair of heroes was preparing to leave the workshop to start the task of the day on of the project left running in the place, and there were often many esoteric devices quietly humming away to themselves, sprung into life. The device was apparently some sort of communication device and the sound coming from it was a strange series of clicking sound, though after a few minutes the sounds started forming into words. Aparently the device wasn’t just a communication device, it must be some sort of translator as well.

“Is there anyone hearing us? We’re in trouble and need help!”

[The Sailor]

Sakurako stopped in her place, running over to the odd device. "Thaelia... did you hear that? I... I certainly did."

She looked at the unusual device. "A... h... hello?"

She was unsure if the device had a microphone or not at this point... "Who is this? What seems to be your trouble?"

She was at a loss for words. Endeavor didn't know what it was, who was asking for help, or even why. All she knew was it was worth looking into if there was someone who needed help. Then again lately it seems lots of people have been needing help around her. Some more than others.

It was curious, she could have swore she heard some clicking...

Edited May 28, 2015 by Endeavor

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia walked after Endeavor to the table.  She crossed her arms and waited for a response.  Barely holding back the excitement as one last trial approached her before the ceremony.  There was plenty to be done.  But, all that could wait in the face of aiding someone in need.

It was odd how conveniently placed the machine was so they could easily find it when someone called for her.  But, that was simply how life worked for people like them.  And Thaelia was the last person to complain at such turn of events.  Rather than add confusion to the conversation by being an extra voice, she simply let Sakurako speak into the device.

Eagerly awaiting what the person on the other end had to say.

Edited May 30, 2015 by HG Morrison

[Tiffany Korta]

There was a chattering of voices caught on the unit, apparently there was more than one person on the other end of the comms.

“We were fleeing through you system when he found us. He brought us down Our ship was damaged and we were forced to land in a forest near you settlement.” they were rather matter of fact about things that were literal out of this world, which for them it probably was

“You’ve got to help us he can’t be far behind, we can’t go back. We haven’t much time.” the second voice wasn’t quite so calm.

[Brown Dynamite]

"Wharton"  Glamazon quickly surmised.  It was the nearest forest she could think of.  And an area she actually knew the name to.  Which was all well and good.  But it was worth noting, Wharton was a whole lot of land to comb through.

Turning to Endeavor she promptly asked.  "Do you believe you can find them?  Otherwise I fear our chances in finding them in time."  She wasn't sure if Endeavor was an experienced tracker by any means.  But, the girl was smart.   Out of the two of them if someone could think up some sort of solution to their needle in a haystack problem it had to be her.

If left to her own devices Glamazon would likely try jumping from treetop to treetop looking for signs of smoke from the crashed ship.  Which was horribly inefficient, but it was what she could manage.

[The Sailor]

"There is already a hint. They crashed in a forest, and based on the size of this device it has a rather small range for reception. It's amazing they still got enough power to transmit a distress call. But it suggests that the forest in question is Wharton."

She takes the odd radio. "We should go. I can use this device to search them out by seeing how the signal gets stronger. I'll need you to provide protection, as I'll be slightly distracted. It seems there is hostilities going on."

"I know you can leap and run very fast. 500 miles per hour on the latest bench-marking in training. That should be plenty fast to close the distance to Wharton. I can keep up easily. Once we find an anomaly in the forest I can get there fast and render aid. I just hope whoever it is has a humanoid body that is relatively similar to a normal person."

She tosses off her labcoat, grabbing her mission vest from her big and beat up backpack she had. Buckling and zipping it up she smiled. "Let's go."

Edited June 1, 2015 by Endeavor

[Tiffany Korta]

Wharton State Forest

A few minutes later

GM Post

It didn’t take long on to spot where the craft had crashed there was a large gouge carved into the ground. The damage didn’t appear as serious as it could have been from a minivan sized object ploughing into the ground from orbit, none of the surrounding tree were burning from the impact.

The craft itself was difficult to see properly as it was both surrounded by a fine spray of dirt thrown up by the crash a faintly shimmering force field that seemed to encompass the impact crater that it was sitting within.

[Brown Dynamite]

"The Daughter of the Seas has arrived to render aid."  Thaelia would have included Sakurako in her opening declaration.  If not for the fact she just couldn't think of a dramatic yet respectful enough nome de guerre to confer her ally.  Glamazon walked, or more accurately leapt, to the force field.  Aiming to slam her body into it where she'd attempt to tear it open with her bare hands.  Relying on something as simple as raw power.  It was a looking before leaping moment.  She didn't even know if the force field could potentially harm her.

All Glamazon knew was someone.  Since she lacked her underclassman's inquisitiveness or intelligence she took a very hammer and nails approach to getting rid of the obstacle in front of them.  With the added complication of not actually being able to properly see the nail in question due to all the dirt in the way.

[The Sailor]

"Not good... they got a defensive screen up... that means..."

Yeah... that isn't good. Usually when a ship crashes and it has a defensive field up, that means whatever was attacking, was inbound. "That means there's trouble nearby. Glamazon, cover, I have my doubts I can approach the ship with it's shield up. Once I'm there they can raise their shields again."

Sakurako took the device that the aliens had been transmitting to and spoke. "Okay, we're here but you have a defensive field. Will I be able to enter with it up, or will it have to be temporarily lowered?"

This was going to be another long day...

[Tiffany Korta]

Glamazon never got a chance to land on the shield she was instead slammed away with some force kicking up dirt from the edge of the crater and slamming through several young trees and crashing into the earth a distance away. The humanoid that had sent her flying landing on it’s feet a short distance away, it’s tiny feet didn’t look like it could hold up the massive bulk of it’s upper torso but it seemed to manage fine.

“I am Delfeil official Bounty Hunter to the Lord of all Conflicts, Entertainer of Septillions of sophonts.” from a pouch on his massive forearm he took out a card and threw it at Glamazon “Those within the craft have something that belong to my Lord and I have authority to recover that item.”

 

Back at the crash sight a rather guilty sounding voice came out of the comm’s

“We didn't put up the shield and... erm we don’t know how to shut it down.”

It was a multiphased force shield, how difficult could it be to shut down.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Tiffany Korta

[The Sailor]

Sakurako looked crossly at the force field. That and she heard the sickening sound of her soon to be former classmate smashing through the tree.

"By Scotty's Kilt... Cross-phasic quantum repulsion technology I understand... Meta-magnetic force repulsors are no problem... but what is this?" She muttered.

She starts adjusting her EM Wand, observing the effect of it's electromagnetics on the field. "Hmm... maybe it's a cross-phase adaptive synch-wave field generator..."

She started to sweat... it was starting to feel a bit hot to Sakurako... the suit detected the galvanic response of her skin and lowered it's temperature, but this was more psychosomatic. There was a fight about to potentially break out... hopefully after the rude greeting this could stand down to a peaceful settlement. "Just be okay, Glamazon... Hey you two! Do you have any way to help here? Time is of the essence and I'm trying to figure this out cold."

[Brown Dynamite]

"I am Princess Thaelia of Atlantis, the Glamazon.  It is through my authority that no harm shall come to these supposed thieves until everything is made clear.  Explain thyself, what item does your lord lay claim to?  Those within the craft merely expressed not wishing to return from where they came."  Thaelia cracked her neck unamused by the bounty hunter's opening.  The aliens on the recording device were pretty specific about not wanting to go back.

If their concern was truly only for their lives.  Then they  should theoretically be willing to give the item in question up.  Assuming they weren't lying or better yet assuming the bounty hunter wasn't lying.  Thaelia examined the card thrown at her.  Unsure if she could even read the contents not exactly speaking a non-terrestrial tongue.

[Tiffany Korta]

Golden letter in an alien tongue swirled in the air above the simple looking card, in mere seconds it had resolved itself into an Atlantean script. The rather fancy style took a few second to get use to but it was evidently clear that he was telling the truth with the card showing the bounty hunters mysterious master.

“I give you five of your Earth minutes to surrender the pair or I shall be forced to use excessive violence to claim my prize.” his face was a sneer suggesting he didn’t figure it would be much of a challenge

He paced about on front of Glamazon apparently ready for trouble to start.

Whilst at the crater Endeavour was making some progress, though it was still slow going, it was almost imperceivable to the human ear but the forcefields tone subtle shifted an octave as it flow started to alter.

[The Sailor]

Endeavor continued to focus on the force field. The Aliens' silence on their end suggested they weren't going to be any help here... or anyone for that matter. The alien was more than willing to start a confrontation and easily, and without even saying what they're guilty of. Endeavor tried to keep her voice low. "You know you two... you can claim Asylum... this would complicate matters, of course, but at this point this might provide just enough time..." Endeavor said, reversing the polarity of her EM wand, willing it to get a proper frequency to get through the field.

[Brown Dynamite]

Glamazon glanced at the card, staring at the six eyed green skinned master of the bounty hunter before finally sighing.  He was telling the truth somewhat, but his manner of doing so was less than endearing.  The Atlantean princess calmly began stretching in response to the pacing in front of her.  A wild smile on her face.  "I do not know why you believe being bested by the Daughter of the Seas will accomplish anything.  But, know if it s a beating you seek.  Then a beating you shall have."  Thaelia believed the man's claim to an item.  But, it wasn't an item the bounty hunter requested.

It was the pair who had yet to show any signs of aggressiveness.  In fact judging by the force field they were scarred.  She didn't know the circumstances fully.  But, of the the people involved.  They asked for help, and he threatened her.  It was pretty easy to decide, which side to favor in at least the short term.

"The two you seek are under the official protection of the Atlantean crown until I am given reason to doubt their seeking of refuge is anything other than well placed fear.  Now, I shall ask you once more.   What is this item your employer seeks to recover?"  It wasn't so long ago that aliens came down from above attempting to turn the planet into amalgamations of metal and horror.  Glamazon wasn't exactly looking to be the one to return a doomsday device to the next group of invaders.  If that's what was going on.