ic The Night Flower (IC)

[Supercape]

GM

 

Sphere seemed to concur with Paradigm, it was still smooth and graceful, but agitate purple blotches whizzed across its surface. 

 

"I am disturbed at the amount of images and words President Munn has collected of Lexa. I am not programmed in organic psychology...but this appears an obsession..."

 

Sphere was predictably well acquainted with the production of the Night Flower - he seemed to function as Lexa's right hand man, and had a very advanced brain, with total recall. Of course, he was not willing to provide details of the production itself (spoilers!) but he was more than able to guide and instruct Paradigm. Of course, time was pressing. 

 

"The Opera begins with a choir, and light show which strobes across the thermal lake. The lights included pulses ultravoilet waves, which stimulate the Bloom. We have constructed a mechanical architecture in the vent - a bit like a skeleton - which should also lift the bloom to the surface. It should be quite spectacular"

 

Sphere went into some brief details of the musicology - the choiral peice was relatively simple tonally, but constructed in a highly complex 13 and 7 beat polymeter, which changed in divisions of notes as the Bloom arrived. It was, according to Sphere, a juxtaposition of beautiful simplicity and mysterious complexity (when considering tone and rhythm). The five singers had been practicing for weeks getting it right, and the stage technicians had had to work doubly hard to understand the rhythmn and coordinate it with the lights. Lexa, apparently, did not allow for mechanised metronomes, preferring subtle changes in speed according to the mood of the moment. 

 

"If you could perhaps make some speech of welcome, a few words on the Bloom. A touch of diplomacy given the rich, powerful, and famous gathered. But...a personal note on the Bloom might be in order. People expect intimacy from Lexa's work. An introduction to set that tone would be...optimal..." it advised, awkwardly. 

 

There were now but minutes until the curtain was raised. Paradigm was back stage, with the singers who were calming last minute nerves and warming up their vocal cords...

[olopi]

 

 

At this point, Barrier’s job was clear. She’d not heard back from paradigm so far, which almost definitely meant that Lexa was still missing. So, it was the shieldbearer’s turn to try and locate her. But she didn’t have any leads whatsoever. She would have to figure things out by herself. And the show was about to start, so time was of the essence.

 

 

Barrier didn’t necessarily need to see the opening, but it would have been nice. Then again, Lexa (potentially) disappearing, especially with what the Star Knight had forwarded, was of much higher priority. There really only were two things she could try now. So, she walked away from the bar, following the barman for a moment until she came across one of the chrome servants. Asking one of the guests was the alternative option, but it could lead to chaos, so that was best done at a later date.

 

 

“Greetings. May I inquire into Lexa’s current location? I imagine you are equipped to help with finding it?”

Edited February 26, 2017 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Chrome robots voice was flat and drab, in contrast to the sleek shiny lines. 

 

"Apologies, location unknown. Lexa is missing..." it replied, polite, accurate, and useless. 

 

On the other hand, help might come from unexpected quarters. 

 

Red Spear, the bounty hunter, all leather and hair and ruby eyes, stepped up, quickly and silently like a panther or hawk. 

 

"I couldn't help but overhear" she said, with a large smirk on her rose lips. "So the star of the Show has gone missing minutes before the opening night?" she said, almost laughing at the irony of it. 

 

She grew more serious for a moment, tapping her lips with her finger. 

 

"One friend of the galaxy to another" she said, almost conspiratorially to Barrier. "Devil Dog and me, we aren't getting anywhere searching for our target. But this smells interesting - a kidnapping! very dramatic! I'd almost think it was a stunt of hers, if it wasn't for President Munn being totally obsessed with her and his ship is prepping for take off just before the curtain rises..." she explained. 

 

"Look, I have eyes in the sky above, and I was notified just now" she explained. "I don't think it helps me, but if it's alright, I'll tag along and help. You can pay back the favour another day" she offered. 

 

More quietly, she added "And I'll keep the Dog out of this one. He is mad with rage...."

 

And with a more normal volume, plus added singing lilt to her voice, she finished "Besides, I can't stand that President Munn. Totally drip!"

[Thevshi]

Paradigm 

Amara listened to Sphere as he provided some details on the opening of the opera, although much of that information was of minimal use for her in the introduction she needed to provide.  However, the suggestions on subjects to address in her speech were helpful, and appreciated.

"Thank you Sphere."  The Pretorian replied as she looked out at the stage she was soon expected to walk out on.

When the time was right, Amara strode out onto the stage confidently, using a slight bit of her flight to keep her full weight off the stage, given she did not know how much weight capacity it was designed for.  As she went, her long black cape trailed slightly behind her, but then settled back down once she came to a halt. 

Looking out over the gathered audience, Amara began to speak in a strong, clear voice.  "Distinguished beings, on behalf of our hostess, I bid you good evening and welcome to the exclusive showing of The Night Flower." 

"In my time I have travelled a great deal of this galaxy, both in this era and an earlier one.  In those travels I have seen many wondrous sights, some which have been lost to time for thousands of years.  But despite all I have seen and experienced, the galaxy still regularly proves that new marvels are everywhere, even sometimes in the most smallest of places." 

"The Bloom is just such a wonder." 

"A unique specimen, when active the Bloom exists as a constant cycle of birth, death and rebirth, constantly evolving and seeking to survive.  Its very existence attracts the inquiry of scientists, while its every changing characteristics are an inspiration to artists.  For many of us, it is a clear reminder that there is much yet to be learned and discovered about galaxy, and ourselves." 

"And now, I present, the Night Flower."

With that she gave a small bow and started off toward a side exit from the stage.

[olopi]

Barrier nodded, before turning over to face the bounty hunter.

 

“So it appears. “

 

Barrier couldn’t quite believe it, but now the bounty hunter actually turned out to be useful. Eyes in the sky, she was prepared. Somehow, Munn being the one responsible for this was almost too easy. But, it was a lead, and a good one at that.

 

“That is true, he seemed … incredibly … obsessed with her. I had my doubts, but if this is true, it could mean quite a lot. We don’t have much time if he is scheduled to leave already, let’s move. “

 

Grabbing her shield from her back, she recalled the facility’s layout. If she’d fly fast enough, she could make it towards the hangar. So long as it was the same hangar that the Silver Bullet had docked in.

“Thank you. I will be sure to repay the favour in due time. For now, let us move. Do you know where his ship is currently located? Does the facility have more than one hangar bay?”

[Supercape]

GM

 

At the Hangar....

 

As it turned out, the Hangar was singular. The Silver Bullet was there, alongside a number of other (usually expensive looking) ships. Red Spear had a good handle on the layout of the base, having gone around it many times in circles (literally and metaphorically). She was also fleet of foot, and perfectly in tune with the low gravity of Nocturne. It took but moments to reach the Hangar - although the Hangar itself was extremely big. 

 

Munn's ship, The Deep Wave, was a curious one. It was fluidic; a robust and shiny outer shell of nano-magnetic mercury that held the form and interior structures, yet instead of an atmosphere, it was essentially an underwater environment. Not fast, not armed, but silent and resilient, and with its adaptable form, suitable for most environments - be it the cold vaccuum of space, the storms of a gas giant, or a turbulent submarine swell. 

 

As such, it was hard to work out how far it was into leaving, but one could hazard a guess it was not long - the surface was rippling, and a thumming drum sound was present. No sign of Munn - or Lexa for that matter. Presumably inside already. 

 

"Can I help you?" asked the Chrome Robot maintaining the Hangar, who was walking away from The Deep Wave. Its voice was, like its sibling in the Bar, flat and without inflection. 

 

"I must ask you to leave for safety reasons. The Deep Wave is about to take off..."

[Supercape]

GM

 

Meanwhile, a polite applause greeted Paradigm, although one would have to say it was a little lacklustre, and there were audible rumblings of disappointment which Paradigm, lamentably blessed with super hearing, could make out in moderately painful detail. 

 

Irrespective of the poetry of Paradigm, which was indeed poetic but hit a hard audience, the Curtain slowly raised, to reveal the choir, who started singing in quite beautiful harmony, with a most obscure polymeter rhythmn. Lights swept and chimed to the strange beat, and the effect was quite magnificent. Paradigm could even here the choir sing in ultra high frequencies beyond terran spectrum. 

 

And the Bloom arose, in a chrome cage which was also a magnificent and reflective sculpture - like an intricate exoskeleton. As the lights flashed the Bloom flowered, again and again, even more magnificently than the small display Paradigm had seen before. It seemed, somehow, to attune its life and death to the music and light. Surely one of the most strange and beautiful sights and sounds in the galaxy, the Audience were awed to the point of silence, but awed they were. 

 

Sphere swam through the air to Paradigm. "Thank you for your speech. Bold and beautiful" it said, glowing like a soft yellow sun. 

 

"I have heard from the Robot servants. Barrier has apparently gone to the Hangar. I understand President Munn's ship is leaving..."

Edited February 17, 2017 by Supercape

[olopi]

The Hallways fortunately were more than large enough for Barrier to fly through them. Yes, she wasn’t all that acquainted with these kinds of low-gravity worlds anymore, but fortunately the shield made it somewhat easier to navigate. As she was carried towards the hangar, she also observed the bounty hunter. She knew what she was doing. She knew the place. For now, it was a good thing. But it also meant that if things were to turn ugly at a later point, she was one to look out for. If her status as bounty hunter hadn’t already made that clear.  

 

And then, the two arrived at the Hangar. There still was some time, but it was running out fast. Too fast. She slowed down once the robot came into view, but continued going forwards. This was all happening too fast. She didn’t have time to properly prepare, she had to rely on what she had thought of in the way here. And then, once she was in the room, she just had to work down that list.

 

“By the authority placed on me by the Praetorians, I command you to stop the ship at once! Lexa’s wellbeing depends on this!”

 

It was a proper, loud, exclamation. Perhaps loud enough for Munn to hear, even. A minor lie, too, but those were fine in these kinds of situations.  And then, she made a direct line towards the ship, trying to place herself in front of it. She’d faced down worse before.

 

“Munn, you are a suspect. Leave the ship at once, or more direct measures will be taken. “

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Hangar...

 

"Your presence is not permitted. Please leave immediately or remedial action will be taken!" demanded the robot, finally letting some emotion (of an artificial sort) into its now firm  voice. 

 

It crouched down into a spring loaded position. The Tinker may have given his robotic minions but he was an outstanding engineer. The robot was quick, precise, and supremely agile. 

 

More impressively, its arms and legs split into two. Four arms, four legs, spindle thick but quick and whip-like. The eight legged posture was a taught elastic spring, ready to leap....

 

 

[olopi]

Barrier didn’t care much for the robot. She just flew right past it, and to the ship. It was, by far, the more pressing matter. It was larger than her. Way larger, probably too large to directly affect it. She could probably slow it down somewhat with just her body, but not enough to stop any sort of launch. Too many probably-s in that plan. And since there was no response whatsoever from inside, this situation called for some more drastic measures.

 

Barrier channelled the spirits, the ones powering the Shield of Elmega. This was one of those rare situations where she would use her barrier not to stop a gunfight, but to stop a larger moving object. Would it work? Perhaps. There was only one way to tell. Pastel green light streamed outwards from Barrier’s shield. And within seconds, a somewhat translucent square area around the Deep Wave, and herself, was created. It would shield her from robotic attacks.

 

But, it would most likely not stop the Deep Wave once it began to take off. It was a powerful barrier, yes, fuelled by the spirits of true warriors, but it could only endure so much. Still, she had to try.

 

“No way out! Surrender yourself, or offensive action will be taken!”

[Thevshi]

Paradigm 

Amara only gave a brief few moments to watch the beginning of the opera, although she was not wanting to delay getting back to investigating Lexa's whereabouts.  When Sphere provided the update on President Munn's starship preparing to leave, the Naram gave a small nod.

"Thank you Sphere, I will make my way there now to see what Barrier has learned."  

With that, she took to the air, moving away from the stage some before heading upward once more and accelerating toward the hanger.  While there was not definitive evidence yet that Munn was responsible for Lexa's disappearance, there certainly appeared to be an amount of circumstantial evidence that suggested he might be.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Deep wave thummed a very low frequency reply through rippling mercury. 

 

"Out of the Presidents way!"

 

And the chrome robot replied too. "This is for your own protection!" it proclaimed, before leaping. Even with low gravity, it sprung high and fast. Like a web of limbs, it flowered open, and wrapped itself around Barrier. The thin limbs were still strong, its silent power impressive. Not as strong as Barrier, it was true, but with eight spindly limbs tangled up over Barriers body the net effect was impressive. 

 

"This is mechanoid 17" it crackled both audibly and presumably via some internal radio communication. "Please cancel President Munn's take off immediately. A guest is in the vicinity..." it said, with normal bland commentary. 

 

"We are taking off anyway!" rippled the Deep Wave, its vibrating mercury shell increasing in hertz. 

[olopi]

Her plan had worked, even if not quite as she imagined. The robot was a lot more effective than she had assumed, one point for the location’s security systems. And even though it managed to wrap around her in a way she could not ignore, it now also called for the ship to be stopped. Good. Still, that didn’t seem to matter, as the ship was most likely getting ready to leave within moments.

 

It required a more hands-on approach. With one swift movement Barrier had managed to shake off the robot. It was strong, but not as strong as her. And she had enough experience when it came to grappling to deal with multi-limbed foes. Once she had temporarily dealt with that issue, she focused on the ship.

 

“Last warning. Shut off your engine or we cannot guarantee that no damage will be done. “

 

And with that, she pushed her shield against the ship. It was much larger than her, yes. It was most likely too heavy for this to actually do anything, yes. But attacking a governmental vehicle directly was not something Barrier wanted to do unless absolutely necessary. And as she pushed against it, both hands holding the shield, waves of green energy formed around her. And then, she remembered one thing she could try.

 

“Lexa! If you are there, make yourself noticeable!”

[Supercape]

GM

 

The robot scrabbled to the floor, all eight limbs whirling. Then, it charged, ramming itself into Barrier in an attempt to push him aside. 

 

"This is for your own protection!" it flatly said. However, it had no counted on Barrier being, well, a Barrier. The Robot bounced off Barrier's body who appeared not to have moved a millimetre. 

 

There was no answer from The Deep Wave. However, Barrier did notice a tiny hole open up on its side, and something tiny fly out. 

 

It was about the size of a mosquito, metal, virtually silent. A technological insect with a small suction cup on its head that opened up like a rose. It was so small it was hard to notice. Without a sound, almost invisible, it turned slowly to face Barrier's head...

 

And then the Deep Wave moved. It moved slowly, rippling through the hanger, and this time, it flowed. The mercurial metal surface became liquid, and simply flowed through Barriers hand. There was presumably something to hold on to deeper, but every time Barrier's grasping hands reached in and found something solid, there was another ripple and it flowed away. 

 

The liquid ship appeared to move slowly now, having difficulty coordinating speed and form. But it was rising, gently like the wave it was named after, and floating like a cloud out of the Hangar...

 

 

Edited February 19, 2017 by Supercape

[Thevshi]

Paradgim 

Paradigm flew into the hanger and quickly took in the situation.  Barrier was trying to stop a rather unusual starship from taking off, one that appeared to be almost liquid in form, which she reasoned was President Munn's vessel.  One of the service robots appeared was on the ground, while a tiny robot was flying near Barrier. 

Confident that Barrie could take care of herself for the moment, Paradigm focused on the spacecraft. 

Streaking across the hanger with a small sonic boom in her wake, the Naram slammed into the side of the Deep Wave, trying to push it back to the ground.  "I am afraid President that we cannot allow you to leave just yet.  Please power down your vessel and allow us to board."  She called out as the spacecraft tried to flow around her.   

But Paradigm managed to grab ahold of something solid within the ship and used it as leverage to hold the ship in place, then she overcame its momentum and power, forcing it back to the hanger floor.

[olopi]

Barrier continued to push against the ship. Even if said ship didn’t seem to care, as it began to simply form around her. Would her barrier hold against that? She didn’t know, and she wasn’t eager to let the ship get far enough to find out. The robot guardian continued to be a minor distraction at best, Barrier was more than tough enough to withstand its attacks.

 

Whatever the ship then released was a more direct problem however. Another robot, yes, but one that was completely different. It was small, too small to hit. And it most likely wasn’t here for diplomacy. Still, the main issue was the ship, and she would push against it no matter what was thrown in her way. There had to be some way to grab onto the ship, right?

 

And then,  Paradigm appeared.  This made things easier. As she also began to push against the ship, she once more proved that she was a fair chunk stronger than Barrier.

 

“Im- Paradigm! Good to see you! I’ll go inside and shut down the ship!”

 

And with that, more green energy appeared from the shield’s centre, engulfing Barrier, and making her disappear, teleporting her next to where Lexa was at this point in time. And by now, Barrier was past the “don’t harm them” stage when it came to Munn.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Inside the Deep Wave

 

The Light Gravity of Nocturne probably did not help. The ship had no atmosphere, it was all water inside, with sheets and rods of nano-magnetically formed mercury. There was a slightly nauseating vibration within the ship. 

 

Inside, a Pilot was furoiusly working the controls, a fish man of the same Species as Munn himself. Bleeping lights on a holographic display seemed to indicate that the Deep Wave was not up to pushing past Paradigm. At least without cheating and flowing its structure. 

 

Munn himself was inside, working a console of his own that seemed to show a video footage of the Hangar. At a guess, it was the insect-eye view of the tiny metal robot he had released outside. 

 

Floating in the centre of the fluid bridge was Lexa, her black gown streaming all over the place (and in ways that with the wrong angle might be unacceptably revealing). She was hand an oxygen mask strapped to her mouth and was quite peacefully and deeply asleep. 

 

"You!" blurbed Munn as he spied Barrier entering the Deep Wave. 

 

"I'll protect you from these scum, sir!" volunteered the exceedingly brave pilot, who pulled out a sidearm that looked a bit like a purple crab...

[olopi]

It was quite a sudden change. First, an atmosphere, and then suddenly water. Sure, it wasn’t actually damaging to Barrier, but the sudden change had its effect, she wasn’t quite operating at 100% for now, not until she properly adapted over the next few seconds.

 

The inside of the ship was something she’d not seen before like this. She’d been on water-worlds, yes, but never on a ship that was based on one. It was quite the experience, even if she had no time to marvel the sights. No, action had to be taken. And after two warnings, she was well within her right to be a bit more proactive than before.

 

“Yes, Munn. You can stand down now, or you can wait until you wake up in a prison transport.”

 

But the President wasn’t the most apparent threat at the moment. He probably had some sort of weaponry on him, but the pilot was both controlling the ship, and directly pointing a weapon at Barrier, so there wasn’t any difficult decision making.

 

But she could still feel her body adapt, so when she reached forward, trying to grab the pilot’s weapon arm and twist it away, her reach came a few inches short, her attack not connecting.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Deep wave had an interesting environment, and the force of Barrier created rebounding oscillating and splintering ripples through the interior of the ship. The pilot bravely fired at Barrier but was off balance, in a spin. 

 

"Get us away! away! away!" shrieked Munn. 

 

He stabbed at his controls and the insect bot outside sped off. It was fast like a spinning dart, whipping through the hanger with frightening accuracy to land on Paradigms forehead in a blink of an eye. In mere microseconds, the web on its head folded onto her forehead and she felt a buzzing electric signal. 

 

In any normal brain, this jolt would be enough to send the recipient to sleep. But this was the skin, skull, and brain of Paradigm, made of sterner stuff...

 

 

[Thevshi]

Paradigm 

"I will keep the vessel in place Barrier."  Paradigm responded to her teammate before Barrier entered the ship. 

The Naram paragon felt the small robot as it attached to her forehead and transmitted an electrical shock.  While the average sentient was likely to have been rendered unconscious by the electrical shock, Paradigm easily shook the effect off. 

As she continued to brace against the Deep Wave, Paradigm reached up to her forehead with one hand, grabbing ahold of the small robot and pulling it loose with easy.  She barely gave it a second glance before she easily crushed it into dust. 

[olopi]

During the next few seconds, her body finally did adapt. Her movements began to feel more natural, less affected by her surroundings, and breathing became easier. And with that, she was ready to operate at full capacity.  

 

Every movement, no matter how small, seemed to affect the entire interior. Which was good to know, even if anything below a major impact would probably not directly affect Barrier. She pushed her shield forwards, in the direction of the pilot, creating a minor shockwave in the water. Enough for her to move in. And then, handling the shield as if it barely weighed anything, she used its side to slam away the pilot’s weapon, also creating an opening for her to get in an elbow strike.

 

She was ready to follow it up by grabbing onto the now weapon-less arm and pulling the pilot into a hold, but there was no need for that action. And as that threat was neutralized, she turned around, looked at Munn, and, without saying a word, approached him, cocking her head ever so slightly.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"This is an outrage!" bluffed Munn. 

 

As President, he was good at bluffing. But he had a weak hand, what with Lexa floating unconscious in the middle of the bridge. With a little more time and inspection, Lexa had the same tiny insect robot clamped to her forehead, buzzing gently away. 

 

"You, madam are impeding a STATE PRESIDENT. The Praetorians have no right to interfere in my business. You do not own the galaxy, and I shall ensure that this unwarranted and illegal activity is brought to account. Your power does not entitle you to operate with impunity!"

 

The ship, deprived of its pilot, floated in the hangar, now quite under the control of Paradigm. 

[olopi]

Barrier’s first reaction was to sigh. And, to be honest, after this all, the had deserved as much. So she did. Quite audibly, and quite loudly. All the while, she continued to approach the president, before in one swift motion, grabbing onto him and putting him into a proper hold. “Shut up now, okay? “ Normally she was quite calm, but this, this didn’t call for that. And while she didn’t carry any restraining gear on her right now, her grip was more than enough.

 

Munn in one arm, she made her way back to the controls. They looked familiar enough. So she went through the notions, and disabled the launch procedure, shutting down the engines. Then, she turned her attention towards what seemed to be the speaker system. At least some things stayed similar within Lor construction.

 

“Situation neutralized. Munn and a pilot. Engine shut down, but I will require some help with transporting Lexa.”

And that was that. Now, Barrier just had to find some way off of this ship herself. But first, she’d wait for any response from outside.

[Supercape]

GM

 

As Barrier and Paradigm finished up controlling the Deep Wave and, it seemed, the situation, Red Spear walked forward, clapping her hands. 

 

"Well, maybe this trip isn't a complete waste of time after all" she said, impressed. "I get to see two Praetorian's in action. I got to say, I'm good at my job. One of the best. But I hope never end up hunting one of you guys. Because I'm going to have to pass on that one..." she smiled. 

 

The Chrome Robot stoop up, its four arms fusing back to two, as did its four legs. And then it froze. 

 

The blank voice came again, from the motionless robot. It was slow to talk and respond and did so in an odd, staccatto manner. 

 

"This is The Tinker" it said. "I am speaking through unit 17. Thank you for rescuing Lexa...." it said. Despite the bland voice, somehow there was a moment of anger. 

 

"Munn will....pay.....you can be assured. Leave him to me. Consider me in your great debt. If the Praetorians ever need me, you shall have my assistance. You have saved Lexa. You have saved the Night Flower. You have saved me..." it continued.

 

Another pause. "Please return Lexa to the stage as soon as she is able. The show must go on...as I understand the Terran's say between drinking gin and burning fossil fuels...."

[Thevshi]

Paradigm 

As Paradigm felt the ship begin to power down, she relaxed, releasing her grip on it.  She was just drifting a short distance from the hull when Red Spear arrived, providing her applause.  But her praise was quickly overshadowed by the Tinker speaking through one of his robotic servants.   

"I am not entirely sure Munn was of a proper state of mind in all of this."  Paradigm replied to the robot and likely the Tinker, wherever he was.  "Most likely he lost control to his obsession with Lexa, and could not handle her rejecting his attempts to monopolize her time." 

"Whatever the case, we will ensure Lexa is not seriously hurt and receives any treatment she might need."  She added, before she drifted over to a section of the spacecraft and tore loose an outer hatch to provide access to the craft, or allow Barrier to exit now that she had things under control inside.