ic [IC] Fight the Power

[olopi]

GM

 

“Hey, hey, I didn’t say anything about free! But it’s probably the cheapest food you’ll find around here, so you do have a point. “

 

He pointed to the menu sign on the truck’s wall. The prices were reasonable. Reasonable for one of the most expensive areas in FC, that was. Not reasonable by any other standard. Even the cheapest thing on the menu would leave a mark in his wallet.

 

“Yeah, think I remember her. Angry, but also really, really sad. Mumbling about … a traitor, I think? Tools? No idea. Something along those lines, I think. No idea where she went to … but I’m sure you can find a way to help my memory, right? ”

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

"Are you asking for a bribe from a man who has lost his wallet?" said Nyberg, almost laughing at the man. He was as stupid, it seemed, as he looked. 

 

"If you want a reward, I can give you one. I'm not a rich man, but if you help me, I would be grateful" he said, more amiably than he felt. What a jerk...

 

"Ill give you half of whatever is left in my wallet when I find it. That's fair. And it also means that I best find that wallet quickly. The sooner I do, the more cash will be in it" he explained, teasing a motivation for compliance. 

 

Damned if he was going to give this guy a cent...

[olopi]

GM

 

The vendor just sighed at Nyberg’s remarks, and actually looked beaten. Perhaps there even was some sliver of pity in there? As he began to serve a different customer, he kept up the conversation.

 

“Ugh, fine. She went over there, towards the bus stop. Only serves one line, so you got lucky. Don’t know how long that line’s open into the evening, so you probably want to hurry. And from what I’ve heard they’re really thorough when it comes to ticket checks, so take your chance. “

 

Nyberg saw the bus stop. And he saw the bus, closing in. It wouldn’t be surprising if it was the last to take this route this evening, and it would arrive at the stop any second now…

[Supercape]

Synth

 

"Thanks" he said, without meaning it. 

 

He turned and ran as fast as he could reasonably get away with - without looking superhuman - towards the bus. 

 

The speed...the power...its wonderful! he noted, admiring the instant firing of nerves, the smooth powerful response of his muscles. He had been a reasonably fit man in life, tall, broad, strong. But nothing could compare to this!

 

"One ticket to...." he looked around tried to work out where this bus went to. 

 

"End of the line" he concluded. "Where is that, exactly?"

 

The trail was running cold. Sarah could have got off anywhere. He could only hope there was some clue somewhere...

[olopi]

“This one is gonna drive back to the depot, but the actual end of the line would be the station before that, Threep Junction. Not a lot around there but residential areas, but suit yourself. “

 

With that, Nyberg paid for the ticket, the hole in his wallet getting deeper and deeper. It had certainly not been the cheapest 24 hours so far. And with that done, he took a seat, close to the middle door.

 

The bus was empty, save for him. Nobody else had gotten on, nobody was previously on. Just him, the bus driver, and the radio host on the speakers. It went on for a fair amount of time, without anything more happening. Then, after the third or so stop, when the doors opened, he could smell it. He’d picked up the scent again. It was faint, but it was almost certainly coming from outside. Perhaps this was what he needed.

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

Without a word, or even a nod, the increasingly frantic Nyberg stepped out of the bus. 

 

He patted his wallet. Empty. Such was the life of a part-time refuse collector in Freedom City. He should think about maybe getting another job. But Refuse collection gave a unique olfactory insight into the city. And, now he thought about it, had landed him in his current situation. 

 

He paused to remind himself that, despite all the hardships, he had purpose. Illegal human experimentation. For Nybergs composite psyche, that was even more distasteful. 

 

The pause gave him time to adjust his nose to the new scents; it was there, certainly. What was Shaw doing? Going back home?

 

He avoided thinking about exactly what he would say to Shaw when he met her. Not an easy situation. Right now, he focused on picking up the scent...

[olopi]

GM

 

Nyberg managed to follow the scent for a while. It was quite the distance, actually, and he spent at least a few minutes walking. Occasionally he got strange looks, as one did when walking around constantly sniffing the air around them. The area itself was okay. Buildings of all kinds of sizes, some houses but mainly apartments. An average residential area located not quite outside town, but also not fully in it. Nyberg knew quite a few places like these. He’d even lived in some.

 

The scent led towards one of the buildings, one of a series of apartment buildings all looking essentially the same, save for a few things on their balconies. It stopped at the door, where a quick check of the bells showed all kinds of names, none of them Shaw. The one thing that stuck out was “The Cornhall Community”, which seemed to be a shared apartment of some sort.

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

It must be the Cornhall community, logically. As well as by necessity! 

 

Now, how to approach? Shaw would not recognise Nyberg. He had no wish to dredge up the horror of their relationship, such as it had been. Synth's brain was already wracked. 

 

He paused for a moment, contemplating options. He didn't really know what the Cornhall community was. Blind. 

 

But I have to proceed...Shaw knows where Jason Hull is....

 

He would have to bluff his way through this, although his chances seemed thin. He would pretend to be an associate of Jason Hull. Best he could do. At least he had the look of a scientist. 

 

He pressed the Bell. 

 

"Hello, I'm looking for Sarah Shaw?" he asked. 

[olopi]

After a second, a stranger’s voice sounded through the intercom. Probably similar to Sarah in age, if the sound was any indication. She sounded a bit sorry, and perhaps a bit disappointed even? It was hard to tell more closely, the only thing that really stood out was the clear sound of exhaustion.

 

“Oh. That might not be too easy right now, she’s not doing all that great? What’s this about? I can ask her if I can let you up, but unless it’s an emergency you’re probably better off doing this tomorrow. She’s not feeling too good. So, anyways, what’s this about?”

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

"I am afraid it is an emergency" answered Nyberg. 

 

"I don't wish to intrude. I just need a moment of her time" he said, more politely. "Or, more precisely, I just need to find somebody, and I think Sarah might be able to help me. I hope she can anyway..."

 

After all this deception, he tried the truth. At least, an edited form of the truth. 

 

"I'm looking for a man named Justin Hall. I think he is doing some very bad things. I need to find him before he hurts anyone" he explained. He wondered what the nature of Sarah's personality was. 

 

"Are you alright in there? Sounds like you are a bit...worn down? Can I help?"

[olopi]

GM

 

The voice went quiet for a bit afterwards, then added one final thing. “I’ll go talk to her and see if she if she can talk to you. If it’s an emergency, she might be able to help. “

 

About a minute passed. Then, finally, somebody said something again. It was unmistakably Sarah’s voice, even if it sounded different from earlier today. Exhausted, sad and probably still a bit angry. That seemed to be a pretty good fit. Even if rather than before, most the anger was now replaced with exhaustion, as she was a bit sluggish when speaking.

 

“Yes? What do you need? Unless you have a warrant I’m not gonna be of much help. Who’re you anyways? “

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

"My name is Doctor Nyberg" he said. It was not exactly true, he was more the echo, the blueprint, of Nyberg. But the half-truth would serve. The real Doctor Nyberg was dead. 

 

"I'm looking for Jason Hull. He works for Williams and Knight, and I understand you might now where he is..."

 

He paused, taking a gamble. 

 

"Jason Hull has been using Williams and Knight research to illegally experiment on humans. That's why AEGIS is crawling around the offices. But nothing is going to be found. Williams and Knight are clean, and Jason Hull has made very sure he has left no tracks. But I have seen the research, and seen the data. Not many can understand it, but I could"

 

He became forceful. 

 

"And I need to find him so nobody else gets hurt. I know you have had a bad day. I know that AEGIS is putting the screws on everybody. And I know you have no reason to trust me. But all you have to do is tell me where Hull is. And if you don't...maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not next week. But sooner or later what he is doing will be exposed, and the trail of human suffering he has caused will be in the papers. And you are going to read that and no that if you had just told me where he was, those people would still be alive..."

 

His patience had run wafer thin. No, it had gone completely. He was doing all the running, all the work. Everybody else was washing their hands of responsibility, choosing not to look. Time for people to show their backbone...

[olopi]

GM

 

There was a pause. Maybe Sarah stepped away? Maybe something happened in the background? Maybe she just needed a second to collect all the information? It was hard to tell, and the short time certainly felt a lot longer than it was, as Nyberg waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, after some time, he heard Sarah’s voice again.

 

“What? I … just, wh …”

 

“Okay. Let’s say this is true. Do you have anything that can convince me? I don’t know who you are, I don’t know who you’re with. And anything I say can, and will be used against me, right? So, if you have anything that suggests that Hull is involved in some way, please tell me. He may be notoriously difficult … and AEGIS … but, I still can’t quite believe that. “

 

“And why do you know who I am and where I live, anyways? “

[Supercape]

Synth

 

"Williams and Knight told me" he replied, honestly - although he had no idea what the woman's name was. "And no, nothing you say will be used against you. I'm not interested in burning anyone except Hull...I just cant live with myself if he carries on doing what he is doing..."

 

"As for evidence, I haven't got anything. But have you seen the research and Williams and Knight? The research that says not for live subjects? I have, and I can interpret it too. Its horrific"

 

A melodramatic magnification. But he felt the need to drum home his point. 

 

"And you know who developed that research, don't you? If you don't take a guess..."

[olopi]

GM

 

And once more, a pause. This time it was shorter, and Sarah responded with a sigh.

 

“Okay. I’ll be down with you in a bit, don’t go anywhere. This better be worth my time.”

 

The door opened about 2 minutes later, Sarah stepping through it. She looked different from earlier today. Her makeup had been washed off, her hair was done up in a simple ponytail, and her eyes were ever so slightly red. She looked tired, mainly, as she zipped up her jacket, and took a better look at Nyberg. Still, the things Synth had actually felt … they weren’t lost, even with Nyberg now being dominant. It was still there.

 

“So, Dr. Nyberg, what do you need? Hull’s location? I can see what I can do. “

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

Nyberg actually breathed a sigh of relief. He pressed his eyes with his thumb and finger, pinching the bridge of his nose. The echo-psyche was feeling the strain, both psychologically and physically. Synthetic flesh was still flesh. The traumatised Synth was still below, and the sight of Sarah was toxic. Not now...not now...he told himself, determined to keep the emergency psych protocol running. 

 

"Thank you" he said, full of honesty. "I...ah...that's such a relief. Hull has been preying on my mind, and my heart his heavy"

 

He breathed in and gathered himself. 

 

"You have given me hope I...we...can stop this. Please, do what you can..."

 

 

[olopi]

GM

 

Sarah pulled out her phone, and began to type something on it. “Well, if that’s all, I can arrange as much. I doubt he …” She seemed to scroll through something, looking up again after having entered some sort of password, probably.

 

“He is currently with AEGIS, staying in a part police station, part AEGIS office down in Southside. That is all I can access at this moment, more would most likely obstruct an ongoing investigation. “

 

She turned to look directly at Nyberg’s face, probably sizing him up. It didn’t help to see her head-on like this, not after earlier today, but it was as it was.

 

“Is that good enough?”

 

“Oh, and before you leave. What is your connection to Bella?”

 

She spoke the name with some sadness, a bit of a sigh slipping in. But she sounded genuinely interested, even if she pronounced it in such a way it suggested she assumed Nyberg would not have made the connection.

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

Damnation...AEGIS....

 

This was a problem bordering on the impossible, but he swallowed despair. 

 

"It will have to do. It must" he answered Sarah. "But I fear AEGIS won't crack him. He is too good...nobody really understands the science of what he is doing" he said, frowning deeply. 

 

"My connection with Bella? Is...complicated" he said, kindly. "Don't judge her too harshly. She tries to do the right thing, and like all of us, she fails. She was helping me, but I fear she failed to do so, and just ended up scarring to hearts" he explained. "I wish I could offer more consolation to you"

 

Even Nyberg felt the sadness. It was not in his nature to hurt. 

 

"I would walk away now, but the truth is, I need something to bring to AEGIS. Evidence rather than speculation. If you have any idea how to help me...? Did Hull do anything, or act, suspicious?"

[olopi]

GM

 

Sarah looked doubtful. “You know, that only raises more questions. I have no idea who you are, and how you’re involved in it all. The fact you and Bella …work together in some way doesn’t exactly help. I still have no idea what her deal is, beyond somehow being involved. “

 

“Not AEGIS, so … I honestly don’t even know anymore. There’s not much on him. Bit of a loner, doesn’t really communicate much beyond his work. And even there there’s some spite, I’d assume. Don’t ask me, I just relay things. As for evidence … well, how’d you all even learn about this entire thing? Whatever that is should be good enough, right?”

 

An interesting thought. It reminded Nyberg of where everything had started, the one little bar in the Boardwalk, blood in trash bags, a day spent hiding, and a night spent fighting. It had barely been a day since, but it had felt much longer. Perhaps it was where he could find the missing piece there?

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

"Thank you Sarah" said Nyberg, fighting the urge to tip a hat he was not wearing. Such was the power of memories. Really, it wasn't a healthy way to operate, or live. It was a half - life, an echo. It was nauseating; a creeping existential crisis that was at least better than the trauma underneath. 

 

"I think that is a good idea" and it was. "And once again, I am sorry..."

 

He turned, ignoring the semi conscious wrench in his synthetic heart. Lesson learned...people are not pawns...

 

Now, back to the bar. With not a penny to his pocket. It would have to be a brisk walk in a dark, dank night. Perhaps Hull and left his mark there, either with the people in it, or some physical evidence....like that strange drink?

Edited May 28, 2017 by Supercape

[olopi]

GM

 

Unfortunately, it had already gotten rather late into the night. Sure, breaking into the bar was still a possibility, but getting there would take a while. And then, there was still the fact that tomorrow it was time to work again. Skipping work was not exactly something Winter’s bosses were fond of. Sleep wasn’t a big thing for Synth, but getting to work in time meant that the next trip to the bar probably had to be moved until later.

 

The way home wasn’t exactly short. Public transport meant that it took actually walking the distance to realize just how far it was. And in this case, it was quite far. And after everything that had happened, some exhaustion was starting to make its way through the body. And by the time Nyberg had finally arrived back at the apartment, the sun wasn’t far from rising once more.  

[Supercape]

Synth / Nyberg

 

As soon as Nyberg collapsed into Winter's apartment, he made the strongest coffee possible. 

 

He was tired. His body had held up, so far, but the simple pressure of experience and emotion was unravelling his psyche. If not for Nyberg, it would have collapsed completely. But it was an emergency setting. Designed to keep the brain together for short periods of time, not forever. A sticking plaster. 

 

Still, he sat down, taking deep breaths. Eyes became heavy...

 

...no! he must not sleep, not yet. Not until the matter had resolved and the mistakes of the day had been justified. 

 

He bolted down the rest of the coffee. Too hot, but so be it. 

 

He threw on a woolly, bland jumper full of holes and, looking like a scruffy professor (which he always had been), left the apartment, with a few coins, to take a bus to the beginning of this sorry saga!

Edited June 13, 2017 by Supercape

[olopi]

GM

 

Once more, Nyberg relied on Freedom’s bus system. Once more, it wasn’t the most pleasant journey, even if fortunately, all the interruptions that happened didn’t involve him, and weren’t big enough of a deal to interfere.

 

And shortly after, he once again stood on Leeroy Street, where almost exactly one week ago, the entire thing had begun. Scrapper’s Bar. The garbage truck would come through in a few hours, and the bar wouldn’t open for quite a few longer. This time, there wasn’t nearly as strong a smell of blood in the garbage, and as he recalled, there hadn’t been too much bleeding on the night of the event, so that made sense.

 

Whatever Nyberg was looking for, it would probably be inside. Of course, that meant he had to get in first. And these locales never opened until much later into the day…

[Supercape]

GM

 

So, it was breaking and entering. Once again. His larceny sheet was certainly elongating at an impressive pace. 

 

Ventilation shafts were probably no solution this time. No squeezing and contorting. Instead, it would be a broken window. 

 

He wrapped his left hand in the tattered woollen jumper. It was cheap and holed, but it would serve purpose. With a spring, he left a good dozen feet in the air and punched his way through the top window. 

 

He paused a moment to clear some of the shattered glass. No use cutting himself to ribbons. This was not the ideal, but the necessity. Just as if he came to conflict with security thugs this time, it would, too, need direct action...

[olopi]

GM

 

Fortunately, there was essentially zero reason to walk down Leeroy Street at this point of the day, so nobody was within range to see Nyberg’s most recent crime. And to at least some surprise, the bar did not seem to have any sort of alarm system. Nothing happened as he broke the glass, apart from some of the shards flying around. The glass broke without any effort, chances were that almost anybody could’ve done it.

 

It fortunately didn’t stand out much either, so anybody walking by would have a hard time spotting it unless they specifically looked for it. And after a short clean-up, Nyberg slipped inside. It didn’t look much different from the last time he’d been here. All the chairs were stacked onto the tables, but that was the only obvious difference to Saturday night. Perhaps the counter was a good place to start? It was one of the few places that he’d never been able to take a better look at.