ic One Month Mission (IC)

[Ari]

GM

 

Tesla looked uncharacteristically blank. "Voices? Someone talking?" she frowned thoughtfully, glancing at the Gate and back to Velocity "It...could be that on the way back you brushed into a weak bit of space-time. Occasionally travelers manifest partially in transit, able to sense and be sensed by others. Some ghost stories came about that way. Alternatively," her frown deepened "you briefly went through another Earth, but so many things would have to be the same for that to happen that I can't even call it a probabilityy. Regardless, it happened once, no harm was done, and I'll just check my math a few dozen times more to be on the safe side."

 

With a reassuring (and grateful) smile Tesla headed for the Gate. "See you aboard!"

 

 

With relatively little fanfare, the Beagle's Endeavour(which lasted ten minutes before being shortened to "Bee") set off into the red void, headed for a round planet-looking body the Atoms had been to several times before.

 

Getting settled was remarkably easy for even the least-adventurous of the A.S.T.R.O. crew. The Bee was full of unfamiliar smells and sounds, but the quarters had gently yellow lights and seemed to shift in accordance with the needs of their inhabitants, growing and contracting, adding and removing amenities to fit even the fussiest.

 

Besides which, there was a lot to do. Velocity and a team of the technicians had to put together the Pegasus space-plane in the spacious round dock, Tristan, Terrifica and Tesla had their hands full setting up the equipment for external data gathering and calibrating the equipment in the laboratories with Freedom Cross' findings, Maximus kept himself out of the way on the bridge, Chase methodically checked their supplies with Cosmo and Victoria gleefully played tour guide/documentary host for Wayward's camera crew. Jack Wolf had come aboard, but he kept himself to himself, and the old man had an uncanny knack for not being in rooms you could swear you'd seen him in ten seconds ago. ALEX was a blur of vintage robotic worry, racing between the Infraworld and Earth-Prime a dozen times before he was satisfied that absolutely everything "the children" needed was there, then returning to Earth to keep Dr. Atom company.

 

The Bee was a kind of symbiotic life-form, artificially created by one of the more advanced species in the Infraworld centuries ago. Chase had managed to awaken and establish contact with it, and with its unerring sense for life to crew it the Bee had steered them well clear of the Wasteworlds that scattered the microuniverse. Shaped like a peanut shell(personnel and bridge fore, dock, power heart and cargo hold aft) at present, their craft sped through the tingling lifeglow at what must have been trans-light speeds. 

 

"We have no idea how this thing flies," Victoria Atom told the camera crew carelessly "but T is pretty sure it's gravitons. We'll find out this trip for sure!"

 

Their flight to Halluel, the massive green-blue orb where the Atom Family had first found the Bee, took only two days. As the rotund glowcraft drifted into orbit, Tesla's voice rang over the P.A. system "Welcome to our first stop, people! A little piece of paradise to start us off. Who's up for a ground mission? Meet us in the dock, don't carry too much, we can send down anything we need later."

Edited February 18, 2016 by Ari

[Blue Rose]

Valerie goes on the tour, getting plenty of screen time and trying to keep up as the casual technobabble makes her feel out of place.  Still, she tries to keep up, asking questions her less-than-tech-savvy audience would probably want to know.

 

"Gravitons?" she asks.  "Like, the ship changes gravity to fall whatever direction you want?"  She rolls the idea over in her head.  It seems really cool, but kind of scary, too.  Falling through weird interdimensional space stuff?  That doesn't quite seem safe, but what does she know?

 

At Tesla's announcement, Val flicks out her staff, extending it to full length to use as a fancy hiking stick,  Something a little more hands on sounds better than some more time in the classroom, but she waits long enough to get Vicky's answer and film a transition before heading to the dock.

[Blarghy]

Eyes red and crusty, Tristan reluctantly tore himself away from the wall panel he'd spent the last hour poking.  This ship had him absolutely captivated, to the point that he could somewhat forget about the Atoms, at least when they weren't actively around.  His time in the lab with Tess still made him feel like a kid again.  This wasn't helped by his need for constant censorship with Terrifica; he had to check every comment, no matter how innocent, before voicing it, for fear that he'd unintentionally reference something only Leviathan should know. 

 

He answered the announcement with a medical bag and durable clothing, from his steel-toed leather boots to thick jacket and the cap that covered his ears.  A pair of worker's gloves stuck out of one pocket.  He'd much, much rather be able to leave the ship armored in nothing but his scales, but wishes and fishes and all that. 

 

Depending on how long it took for the rest of the team to gather, they might find him leaning against a bulkhead, on the verge of a nap.  "Metal...fun...gus...whaaahhh...mmhmmm..."

[Thevshi]

Given Tess' explanation, Velocity figured there was little to worry about with the one incident during a return trip.  So, the speedster focused on getting the expedition underway.  This involved a few dozen more trips back and forth, although not quite at full speed, as Velocity helped move much of the group's equipment over to ship. 

Once they were underway, the Freedom League member's time was focused on assembling the Pegasus spaceplane the League had provided for the expedition.  Although this was hardly Velocity's area of expertise, her speed allowed her to quickly study sections of the detailed directions Daedalus had provided and carefully perform work that would take most people hours in minutes.  Still, there was a LOT of work that had to be done, and it still required much of the first day for the speedster and the group of technicians assisting her to assemble the vehicle. 

Although she was rather exhausted the first night, having finished with the Pegasus allowed Velocity to sleep in some the second day.  But then once she was awake, the speedster had little to keep her busy, so when Tess' announcement of a ground mission came over the Bee's intercoms, Velocity was (naturally) the first one to the dock.  

As one of the few aboard qualified to pilot the Pegaus, Velocity had to prep it for the trip anyway.

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne had spent her life among artificial lifeforms of various sort and was very comfortable among them, indeed she could sense the comforting background presence of Bee. Though she didn’t want to intrude while the ship was busy. She also had a practical, if not particularly scientific, knowledge of how similar ships worked though she was happy to leave such things to the experts.

Instead she kept quiet and enjoyed the tour taking copious notes about everything interesting that she saw around her. As she only had her backpack,with Mother Unit tucked safely inside, she was ready and able when they offered a chance to see what was going on outside Bee.

[Ari]

GM

 

In addition to the super-guests and Wayward's crew, Chase Atom and ten of the A.S.T.R.O. crew came along. Chase had left Cosmo on the Bee, though from the way he told it to Tesla, it was obvious he didn't think that would last long. The crew brought along one of the sensor arrays that the Lab and Atoms hoped would give them some insight into the nature of the lifeglow.

 

The flight down to planetside was uneventful although Velocity, used to the relatively openness of a Pegasus on a League mission, felt the change in around twenty people and 300 pounds of sensory equipment all occupying the same plane. Streaking across the lush, tropical and verdant wilderness, Chase and Tesla reminisced fondly at the sight of familiar spots, pointing out unusual rock formations, wandering herds with forests growing from their backs and a fast-flying serpentine dragon. Tesla had already set Velocity's destination, and the whole party disembarked in a large circular clearing.

 

Helping to carry the equipment out with a glowing bed of golden nucleonic energy, Tesla glanced with a smile at the towering, flowing trees that spiraled above them in graceful arcs. The air was crisp and clear, without even the need for the small rebreathers occupying several crates in the Bee's hold. Even in the middle of the jungle a faint breeze could be felt, cool and refreshing. The sky was blue in defiance of the red dusk of the Infraverse, pillared with majestic, gentle clouds, with aerial creatures flitting or gliding serenely across it and through the treetops. In the background as the unobtrusive, reassuring chorus of animal life, calls and sweet singing and trampled undergrowth. Shading her eyes to scan the concentric circles making up the depression the Pegasus had settled in, she paused and glanced with a questioning look at Chase. "Didn't this used to be smaller? Remember last time, we couldn't fit even the Atomobile in here."

 

Starting at the question, the slender young man looked around at the rippling clearing, narrowing his dark eyes in thought. Nodding at last, he said "Yes, it was smaller." The telepath shrugged "Should not be a problem, I will keep a watch for anything else changed."

 

After another look around, Tesla nodded and hoisted the equipment higher "Alright, let's get to work, people. I'll help with the sensors, anyone wants to go exploring, feel free, just grab a buddy. We've never met anything dangerous here but don't take any unnecessary risks, okay?"

 

Overhead, a cluster of glittering streamers flitted by, swooping and curling in iridescent brilliance, a faint tone like vibrating piano strings following in their wake.

 

[Blarghy]

Contrary to the Atoms' dismissal of their landing site's mysterious changes, this put Tristan on edge.  He'd seen enough horror movies to pay attention to such details, and similarly, he was in no rush to go wandering through the unknown landscape with only one other person at his side.  Not in his frail human body, anyway.  Besides, there should be plenty to investigate within eyesight of the ship.  Even a single species of plant or animal could keep him interested for days.

 

He walked to the edge of the clearing, put on his gloves, and began methodically studying the local flora, with a particular eye toward what and how the lifeglow may be supplying to the plants or affecting the soil and air.  As a secondary project, the doctor also paid attention to any signs of trampling, consumption, or disease that could explain why the clearing expanded since the Atoms' last trip.  Some beast making this spot its home or regular feeding ground?  Bacteria or fungus killing off the larger plants?  Deliberate tampering from higher lifeforms, who might be using this landing zone for the same purpose as he and his crew were now?  Something less orthodox altogether?  Tristan intended to find out. 

[EternalPhoenix]

It was odd. There was no sun, yet the plant life was flourishing at a rate that would take substantial work to replicate on Earth. It had to be that…lifeglow thing the Atoms had referred to. Terrifica had been working closely with Tesla and Tristan, of course. However, not a single person ever saw her with her costume off. She obviously had to remove it at some point, as there were times where she could not be found. She had a knack for being around right when she was needed, and she showed no signs of weariness despite putting in a significant amount of hours. Though, not nearly as many as Tristan. There was something downright impressive about how well versed in…everything she was. It took her bare seconds to figure out how to work the equipment she’d never laid eyes on before today, and she handled the intial calibrations with a speed and efficiency that no one else on the trip could manage. All that, and Wayward’s camera crew never did manage to get a clear shot of her at any point during the trip. Much less anything resembling an interview.

 

And about that young man…he  was giving her the distinct impression he had something to hide. From her, specifically. Either that, or he’d developed a childish crush on first sight. Gods above, that’s vain of me. The man has a secret, and from the way he’s behaving it’s that we’ve met before. Considering who most of the people I meet in the armor…Ah, of course. A hero colleague in his civilian identity. She sighed. Quite frankly, she wasn’t interested. What she was interested in was the reason for the change in size of the landing area, and if there were any other changes. For the moment, she held to the fact that the Atoms would mention anything clearly different, but her hackles had been raised. She observed the entire landing area quickly and efficiently, and then sidled up to Tristan. “You’re behaving quite oddly, and only around me.” It was, of course, entirely possible he wasn’t aware he was doing it. That, and Terrifica rarely had patience for tact and subtlety in social interactions. “I don’t know who you are, and at the moment I am not especially interested. Keep behaving suspiciously, and that will change.” She sighed quietly. “I am here for scientific exploration, not investigating squirrely biologists. So relax.” She walked away to have a chat with Velocity about searching the area. As usual, something wasn’t right here. Although the Freedom Leaguer lacked Terrifica’s knowledge base, a quick look around the general area could prove quite useful in the long run. She smiled. Long run. Terrible pun, must keep that to myself.

[Blarghy]

Tristan froze, down on his knees with his fingers delicately around a leaf he'd been studying.  He took an unusually long time to process Terrifica's assertions, his brain sluggish with fear.  She threatened to investigate him if he didn't stop fearing investigation?  If that was her attempt to put him at ease, it laughably backfired, akin to pressing a gun to someone's head and ordering them to relax on pain of death. 

 

I don't know who you are.  Unless the supergenius was suffering a sudden bout of amnesia and had forgotten his name, Tristan could only interpret that one way. 

 

He swallowed the lump in his throat, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a shaky hand, and all but forgot about the disturbing implications in the local flora actively fleeing from the spot they had landed. 

[Thevshi]

Once the Pegasus had set down, Velocity powered the spaceplane down and went through the post-flight routine.  Then the speedster made a dozen high speed trips helping to finish unloading the various equipment.   

The league member was able to help quickly set up the sensors the Atoms wanted in place, leaving it for the scientists and technicians in the group to calibrate them once they were up.   

She was just finishing with that when she saw Dr. Delaroix suddenly take off running into the jungle around the landing site.  In a flash of yellow, Velocity followed after the scientist and quickly moved in front of him, coming to a halt with one hand stretched out toward him.  "Whoa, hold on a moment doctor.  You probably should not be out here on your own."

[Blarghy]

Nerves already very exposed, Tristan jumped at Velocity's sudden appearance.  He hadn't found the time for much interaction with her aboard the ship, and with the Atoms taking the brunt of his fandom, the doctor almost forgot that he was in the presence of a Freedom League member.  It came to mind now, face-to-face with this proven, charismatic hero. 

 

"Ah...I planned to stay near the ship," he began slowly, "but yes, you're right, it pays to be careful.  Especially given that this landing site has changed significantly since the Atoms last used it.  Although I think that this grove is perhaps not a sign of danger, per se, but a useful clue to the planet's functioning.  Or that of the lifeglow overall." 

 

He bent down and pushed his gloved fingers through the topsoil, bringing up a handful.  "The dirt here is still healthy.  Why, then, are the larger plants pulling back?  They do appear to be retreating, or rather dying, yet not eaten or deliberately removed.  Now, they don't have the root systems we would find on earth...Could some lifeforms in the soil be competing with those on the surface?  Pushing them out, even with natural biological warfare?  Something about the Atoms' first landing in this area has altered the local environment, made circumstances either unsuitable to some life, too desirable to others, or a combination of both.  Very curious..."

[Thevshi]

Velocity relaxed slightly as Tristan agreed to not roam off on his own and instead turned to considering the changes that had taken place in the clearing since last the Atoms had visited the planet.  The speedster glanced around the area herself (a gesture she did not actually have to make to see the area around them, but something that was still a habit).

"Well, I am afraid the answers to those questions are probably a bit beyond my expertise."  She commented.  "But I would expect that you and the others should be able to gather some data that would at least let you come up with some likely reasons."

[Blarghy]

"I just...feel like it's worth looking into," Tristan explained.  "Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but it might tell us something useful about this planet and the lifeglow.  Hopefully I'm not just wasting time."

 

He cast a glance back toward the ship and the Atoms, ready to go ask about the details of their last landing, but found himself hesitating.  How long might it be before he could talk to Velocity one-on-one again?  They didn't have much in common, and she'd probably find her fellow heroes more interesting company after this brief meeting.

 

"...But I bet you've come across weird things like this before, right?" Tristan ventured.  "You've probably seen it all."

[Thevshi]

"Seen it all?  No, I would not quite say that I have seen everything there possibly is to see yet."  Velocity replied with a smile.  "Certainly I have seen my share of unusual things, but nothing like this." 

"As for whether you are wasting your time...I don't think you are.  The mission here is to learn what we can about the Infraverse and the Lifeglow.  The only way to do that is by examining what we come across.  While some of it may not teach us anything new, ignoring possible areas if inquiry could miss something that could.  So, better to try and fail than not try at all."

[Blarghy]

"That's a very scientific philosophy," Tristan complimented, eyes attentive and his smile venerating.  Half his focus went to the articles, news reports, and even memorabilia he remembered of the Freedom League hero.  Last year he almost bought a replica copy of Velocity's goggles, but at the time he was cutting back on his collectibles, for secrecy's sake, as Leviathan slowly became more than just a dream.

 

Now, he struggled with more to say.  "So you've...have you been to the Infraverse before, during your adventures?  What made you want to sign on with the mission?"

[Tiffany Korta]

It was strange really in reality Daphne was technically as alien as this world they were walking upon, but felt more at home on her adopted Earth. Still she must admit it was a beautiful place as she wandered along taking copious pictures with her Cell Phone, it helped that she could download her pictures to Mother Unit who had almost infinite storage. She’d got one hell of a selfie that no one else would ever be able to reproduce.

“Does anyone mind if I quote people on this? I’m sure people back home will really want to know about all this.”

[Thevshi]

Velocity remained near Tristan as the scientist continued to examine the terrain, able to keep an eye on the area around them with easy.  At his compliment about having a scientific philosophy, she smiled slightly.  "Well, you spend enough time around science folks and it tends to rub off some."  She replied. 

"Seen it all?"  She then replied to his other questions.  "No, not quite yet.  This is my first trip to the Infraverse, but I have had some experience with other dimensions.  Including a visit to a null time that is outside the time stream."

"How about yourself doctor?  Is your specialty in dimensional mechanics?"

[Blarghy]

"No, just biology.  I'm here for the lifeglow."  He honed in on this null time with great interest: "You've been outside time?  That's amazing.  I'd love to hear about it, when we have the...ah, time."

 

But Daphne widened his attention again.  Some of Tristan's armor rose back up; he always felt at least a little guarded around reporters.  "Ah...yes, that's fine," he granted, mostly since he couldn't stop her anyway, especially not with two separate camera crews around.  The question reminded him of the matter at hand.  Much as he wanted to spend the rest of the day focusing on a real Freedom League member, this planet itself was even less likely to come around again.  And he did have a job to do. 

 

Glancing back often and walking slowly--not that it mattered in this case--to encourage Velocity to come along, he sought out any of the Atoms, Tesla in particular.  "I'd like to hear the details of your first landing here," he asked.  "I think it may've altered the local environment.  Understanding how and why could tell us something useful."

[Thevshi]

"Well, I am sure that we will soon be falling into a more normal routine aboard the Bee, so we can probably find time to talk some about the null time."  Velocity replied, even as she started wondering how she could talk about her trips there without reveling too much about what to her, Robert and their son there. 

But then Daphne came by, and the speedster turned and gave a stunning smile as the reporter took a picture, having long become accustomed to the press.  "Sure that would be great."  She replied to Daphne's question, and then followed after Tristan as he headed back toward the Atoms, no longer needing to be off making sure he did not wander into the jungle alone.

[Ari]

GM

 

Tesla, her morphic uniform changed to resemble a suit of coveralls, was helping get the deceptively slender sensor array comfortably settled into the ground when the three returned. A quartet of the technicians were working on the body, while the rest were assembling the power supply and detection equipment. 

 

Standing up and brushing dirt off her hands, the second-eldest Atom frowned at Tristan's question. "Let's see...we had just escaped Rhisombus and Rebulus of the Nucleotitans, in their overthrow the air-car's power system got damaged, so we couldn't brake our descent properly. We skidded to a stop about there." She pointed over at a small groove near the Pegasus's undercarriage.

 

A short, but significant distance from the center of the first terrace.

 

"We needed every bit and piece of the thing if we didn't want to be stranded, so while we could only make superficial and, frankly, jury-rigged repairs, we collected every scrap of the vehicle we could find."

 

Crossing her arms and looking between Velocity and Dr. Delacroix, Tesla asked anxiously "You don't think we might have introduced something? I checked before we left and found nothing, but radioactivity, some toxic reaction to the metal, or something else might have happened since then, is that your worry?"

Edited March 18, 2016 by Ari

[Blarghy]

"I wouldn't call it a worry," Tristan corrected hurriedly, not wanting to appear critical of one of his heroes.  "Lifeforms in the soil might even be grateful, despite the withdrawal of the larger plants.  They seem to be prosperous--but clearly this area has changed since you were last here, and the simplest explanation is that it was caused, somehow, by your earlier visit.  Understanding how and why could tell us something useful, perhaps."

 

He took a step and gestured to the most recent terrace.  "They're manifesting very fast; this one sculpted itself, however it's happening, within the past day.  Whatever this is, it's ongoing.  If we just monitor the clearing, we may be able to see fast results ourselves.  And if we don't, then that probably means it's the work of larger wildlife in the process of some kind of construction project, like a beaver dam.  I can't think of a reason for that, but I don't have any theories for why the microorganisms in the soil might be causing this either.  It can't be due to roots, as no plants on this world appear to have any.

 

"I'd like to take some soil samples from each of the rings and compare them to one another, and to samples from outside the clearing.  That might tell us more.  Do you have suitable equipment here on the Pegasus, or will I need to wait until we're back aboard the Bee?"

[Ari]

GM

 

"Oh, the geology gear we brought is just fine for that. I was planning to take a quiet few days here just taking and analyzing soil and water and atmosphere samples. Halluel is great for relaxing, almost wish we hadn't found this." Tesla smiled slightly "Almost. I'll help get the surveillance equipment up and running as soon as the monitoring station is operational. Velocity," she turned soberly to the Leaguer speedster, tapping at the communicator on her morphic uniform's wrist "I want to be sure this is the only place where this has happened. Would you scout around in a radius of about 350 miles? The Bee has pretty good imaging arrays, but you're much faster and the ship's lenses aren't as trustworthy as human eyes."

 

Meanwhile, Chase was showing Wayward and the camera crew how to lure the flying ribbon-things to land on your wrist, his arms quickly becoming festooned with twining, living streamers as he gravely outlined the proper steps.

 

Afterwards, he approached the celebrity heroine. "Excuse me, Mz. Cain," he said, an almost puzzled look on his face "but I understand you are psychically competent, so I wanted a second opinion: can you sense anything? Perhaps some kind of animal? I am picking up...something, like thoughts but much slower, vaguer. I have imagined things like that in the past, and do not wish to alarm anybody without cause."

[Thevshi]

"I am afraid that the Pegasus is strictly a transport, no laboratory facilities or the like aboard."  Velocity replied to Tristan's question, but luckily the Atoms had brought along equipment for just such analysis. 

When Tess asked the speedster to take a look at the area around the clearing out several hundred miles in each direction, Velocity smiled slightly.  "350 miles?  Shouldn't be a problem.  I'll be sure to take my time." 

Unless Tess had something else to add, the yellow clad speedster was then off in a barely visible blur.  The amount of area Tess wanted her to cover meant she could fully cut loose with her speed.

[Blarghy]

"...Ahhh--" Tristan's voice trailed off, mumbling, as he watched the space where Velocity had been, then uselessly staring off into the distance, as though he might somehow track her movements.  "--Yes, alright, that's good.  I'll get to work collecting samples, then."  With that, he shuffled off.

 

He took about half a handful from each terrace--a small garden spade would be useful here, if such a tool was among their gear--and labeled it by number, either in bags or trays.  While he was at it, Tristan also collected bits of the fallen vegetation, to compare with fresh-cut samples he would then take from living plants, both at the perimeter and further out, when he was ready for that step.  If no one had set up their geology gear by the time he finished, he then moved onto doing that, assuming it was within his capabilities. 

Edited March 24, 2016 by Blarghy

[Ari]

GM

 

As Velocity's superhuman search went on, it quickly became apparent that Tesla's assumptions were incorrect: there was not one such ring, there were at least five hundred in the search radius of that continent alone. They weren't all the same age, either, with some wide and deep enough to swallow two Pegasus spaceplanes placed end to end horizontally or vertically, some just 'opening' and barely big enough to stand in. At the bottom of the largest, the dirt gave way to a silvery, metallic lump that seemed to be part of something much larger.

 

However, while plant life shrank from them, animal life had no such reaction. Several times Megan dashed by circles that had become nests or watering holes for the local fauna, moving so fast that the strange black wingless dragons and pastel-coloured swarms of floating cotton-balls never saw her.

 

By and large, while they were certainly unusual they didn't appear dangerous or even unusual for Halluel's style of normal. When Velocity returned and told what she'd found Tesla and the scientists from ASTRO Labs were soon buzzing with speculation on what exactly they'd stumbled upon. Only Chase seemed anxious.

 

At the camp site, the surveillance feed was quickly got up and running, and that night they settled in to watch what was making the rings, and how.

 

Long after night had fallen, the luminescence still a mystery in the absence of a local sun, the noise of life in the forest around them abruptly stopped. The ground trembled and almost imperceptibly began to shift, over the course of hours retracting and sinking smoothly under the Pegasus, so softly and gently that those aboard never felt a thing. 

 

Tristan, as he watched, saw something the techies he'd stayed up with hadn't: a glint of silver that had momentarily poked through the dirt, and then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.