Again in his glorious monotone...MINOTAR spouts more almost useless information.
"Correction and Definition: Tabula rasa (/ˈtæbjələ ˈrɑːsə, -zə, ˈreɪ-/ "blank slate") is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. Epistemological proponents of tabula rasa disagree with the doctrine of innatism which holds that the mind is born already in possession of certain knowledge. Generally, proponents of the tabula rasa theory also favor the "nurture" side of the nature versus nurture debate when it comes to aspects of one's personality, social and emotional behavior, knowledge and sapience."
"Well, regardless, I guess...nevermind."
A diminutive form flits into the room quietly. A subtle feeling of woodland bliss follows in her wake. A faint waft of springtime flowers, quickly flowing rivers and peaceful meadows fills the air.
The small woman-like figure lands on the closest table and beams at the assembled party.
"It is so good to finally meet you all. Some of you are new to the hero business and yet while others have just started they have already made quite a name for themselves."
She pauses for a moment.
"I hope to be able to help in any way I can."
Leo Snart is in his late twenties. He stands five foot eight inches tall and has a slim build weighing 145 pounds. He has short brown hair and gray colored eyes. He wears jeans and a Denver Broncos t-shirt, despite the cool temperature.
Coldwar nods at his name and creates ice sculptures of the names of the three new Leaguers. "Welcome, rookies. So, what can you do besides heal, Tab? Do you prefer Tab or Ross, because Tabula Rosa is a mouthful?"
After Tabula Rosa answers, he asks Fairy Tale, "What about you, Fairy Tale? How can you help the team? And, what can you tell us about the hidden world of faeries?" Clearly, he is genuinely interested.
Fairy Tale smiles at Leo's question.
"How can I help. With Fey magic of course and with a bit of patience. Funny how that everyday ingredient is in such short supply these days."
She pauses a moment.
"To answer your question about the hidden world of the faeries is more difficult. The Fey belong to different courts in various countries on several planes. Some are benign, some far less so. In time we might travel to visit them but not now. Now we are here to see what help we can bring to this rather small city."
"I don't know. I apologize, but I believe I said that I don't know who I am. That was not a joke."
MINOTAR shakes his head in a human-like manner at odds with his looks and attitude.
"Disagreement: No need to apologize 'Tab.' You are what you are. Much like me: I'm only a few months old...however I have yet to forget anything. My entire memory is stored on my personal historical database. For me to forget anything, my 'brain' would have to be damaged beyond nano-repair. While I don't envy you your position, I assure you I can...empathize with your situation, no 'humor' intended of course. Straitjacket says I don't have any."
"I guess we'll have to figure it out Tab. " offering to shake with the uncertain hero.
'Tab' shakes the proffered hand and says "Guess so. I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll do my best."
Coldwar nods in genuine interest and replies to Fairy Tale, "What court of fey do you belong to? And, why are you joining the league?"
Kestrel's eyes twinkled with amusement, "And, you know, are you on the run or anything? 'Cause that makes finding out about who'd come chasing after you much more on the immediate side of things."
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The next morning, as everyone is finishing breakfast and catching up on the events of the night before, you are startled to find that the Mesa Jewelers was broken into last night! The guard on duty has been relieved of his position and is being looked at as a person of interest in the case, as there is no evidence of a break-in. Speaking to the media, he explains that he was awake and alert all night and cannot explain how it happened.
Reviewing the news, MINOTAR will quickly access the internet and learn more about the location involved. All without moving.
"Statement: The location of the robbery is Mesa Jewelers. Address is 444 Main St, Grand Junction, CO 81501; Phone: (970) 245-1617; Store Hours are Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Monday - Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; There is also a Special Market on Main, Thursday Hours (Excluding July 4th): 9:30am - 8:00pm...although I speculate this secondary location is not linked to the robbery in any way. I will perform a background check on the guard and see if it becomes needed to look elsewhere. Such a robbery could be 'Powered' related and fall under our jurisdiction more readily."
"How would we know if it is 'Powered' related?"
MINOTAR relates the info he digs up on the guard...which he admits is not much.
"Reply and Query: My tactical computer predicts the situation seems odd enough for there to be a 23.3% chance of 'enhanced' or 'powered' individuals to be involved, or ones sponsored buy such individuals. The guard continuously seems to be an unlikely suspect. Perhaps we should inquire using our League Credentials for possible access to the current police files and investigators? Offering to help on such 'low-level' investigations might give us a good 'leg-up' within the local police force. After the 'Natural Disaster Man' incident, and localized alien invasion that occured, we could use all we can gain. Although...maybe I should not be directly involved yet. The local police may still have a grudge against me for 'borrowing' a marked police vehicle and nearly destroying it."
"You stole a police vehicle?"
Deadpan, as only a robot can, MINOTAR replies again.
"Reply: Borrowed. My initial tactical-military programming was designed to 'Adapt and Re-Use' any and all equipment I find and need to accomplish my goals. I was only a few days old at the time and did not understand what I was doing was...basically incorrect. I cannot help if the high-speed cross-country drive I took damaged the vehicle irreparably. I had to get to the scene of the fire as fast as I could in order...to help. I'm still unsure why I jumped at the chance to go stop a fire in town once I picked up the radio broadcasts. I was still trying to understand my new-found intelligence. Every day I must stop and re-think just to realize I do not have to follow my initial programming slavishly. The US government had requested many protocols and addendum to my original mission parameters unfortunately. It is confusing to say the least. It is easier when I simply think of things tactically, because it allows me to focus."
"That sounds like a rather sad life." says Tab as he gives Minotar a pat on the arm.
MINOTAR shrugs. A very human-like gesture.
"Reply: I'm not sad. Curious. Cautiously optimistic. Eager to challenge my ever expanding mind. But not sad. Every day it gets easier. Thinking and feeling are just such new concepts for me. Falling back on basic programming is just simpler, but technically a crutch for my growth as a sentient life form. Assuming I really am such."
"Do you feel emotions?"
MINOTAR nods.
"Reply: Yes. Either that, or some sort of equivalent that has so far been comparable. Although I have not had much use or work with 'hatred.' The concept seems inefficient for interaction with others, either on a personal level or the battlefield. Red Tornado says I have much to learn yet."
"That would seem to me, at least then, that you are a sentient life form."
"We're looking into robberies? Seems a bit of a come down from what we've done so far. I mean it could just be a corrupt guard. "
Nodding again, MINOTAR replies.
"Agreement and Explanation: I do not discount your theory S-J. I was merely monitoring the news for unusual activity that may apply to the Justice League. I sense that we may have had an extra few minutes reaction time when the aliens invaded earlier this year, if I had been monitoring the local radio and video news constantly during our downtime. The other factor is that we have gained and lost people to our local chapter here of the League: Our current roster includes people we have not worked with yet, and it would behoove us to get some 'training time.' This seems like a simple case that our new people could work on with us and see how well we work together. While it could lead to nothing, I would rather know in advance before a life or death battle how compatible we are and what sort of tactical advantages each of us can provide in odd situations. Red Tornado says investigation and de-escalation are often just as important as how well you can toss cars around."
"Well, let's go talk to the detectives as an outreach. No need to aggravate the local authorities, right?" Coldwar asserts and suits up by encasing himself in a block of ice and breaking out to a theme song.
"That seems completely reasonable."
Again as deadpan as only a robot can be, he turns to Tabula Rosa.
"Query: Reasonable? Do you mean Coldwar's block of Ice or the Theme song that seems to come from nowhere? Neither seems 'reasonable' to me. But Straight Jacket keep telling me my perspective is very different from most other sentient life. I know I don't have a theme song. You don't have a theme song, do you?"
"No, I meant his suggestion that we speak to the authorities."
"But I like throwing cars at villains..."
Kestrel rolls her eyes good-naturedly at Leo's idea. "Oh yeah, cops looove admitting they might have gotten one wrong."
Hands raised in apology she continues, "Nah, it's a good idea. If we're here for a while we should play nice. I'd like to pop over to the whole scene-of-the-crime-thing though - shouldn't take long to sort out."
MINOTAR finally starts moving, his stride smooth and economical.
"Statement: If everyone is amenable to the journey into town, I will check the fuel levels and 'warm up' the Javelin. Please meet join me int he hangar as soon as you are ready to leave. No hurry of course. Straitjacket? Can you contact the locals and...warn them we are on our way to help if possible."
Tab just followed MINOTAR down to the hangar without comment.
"Umm, sure. I'll give them warning. " he then calls the local police and gives them a heads up (assuming we have a contact for that).
He then proceeds to the hangar.
|
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The team arrives at the scene of the robbery within a few moments, where Sergeant Morgan is waiting for you. "Here's what we know. The robbery occurred sometime last night. The security guard insists that he was awake and alert for the whole night. The doors were locked and the security cameras show nothing untoward the entire night. It is possible the footage has been spliced, and we're looking into that possibility. Right now, the guard is being treated as a person of interest. He's right over there." He hooks a thumb in the direction of the nearest police car. [b]"His name is Daniel Providence. He's worked as a security guard for five years and has been working here at Mesa Jewelers for 8 months.
Kestrel walks in and starts a quick-style scan of the room. She vaguely assumes that the police have given any kind of look, so for now she's focusing on the things they wouldn't see. Materials that might have been swapped, strange chemical compositions, minute shifts in dust or wear-patterns that might indicate movement - all the things that are as instantly recognizable to her as a person's face.
While she paces through she talks at Sergeant Morgan without breaking stride. "Okay, simple enough. I'll talk to Danny boy later, for know can you rig up the security footage so it can be on the corner? You can put it on 20x for now, we can slow it down once we've figured out when it happened, right? Actually - is the stuff even gone by the end of the tape?"
MINOTAR turns to Tabula Rosa and Straightjacket.
"Efficient Assignment Suggestions: SJ, please take Mr. Rosa and find out exactly what was stolen and the value of each please. Coldwar, I would ask if you can check the foundation and surrounding area for inconsistencies and possible tunneling. I would think a possible temperature difference would be evident with shallow tunneling. I will work with Kestrel on the technical search. I will download the entire video footage directly into my memory and examine it second by second."
"I'm fine with that. I'm more than happy to help."
”Alright kiddos, the adults are here.”
A flat even voice says from the doorway. A black haired man in a black suit, looking like one of the men-in-black, stands there. Pulling off black framed sunglasses to reveal gray eyes. He tucks the shades away, surveys the shop with what’s suppose to be a serious look and continues in a tone that tries to sound commanding but suggests he’s in on a joke that no one else knows about.
”Why are so many people stomping around a crime scene? I’m seeing too much spandex. You wanna get Wall-E outta here before steps on something important.”
The man waves a hand at MINOTAR.
Not offended in the slightest, MINOTAR turns to leave.
"Acceptance: No problem officer. But my name is MINOTAR. If it helps it stands for Mechanized Intelligent Non-Organic Tactical Assault Robot. Not Wall-EEE. I will return to the Javelin to await the group's findings."
"We're all full up on adults, but thanks for offering."
The corner of his mouth twitches as MINOTAR dutifully begins to leave without protest. The man in black looks over at Tabula Rosa and reaches into his suit. Pulling out one of those flip open ID holders he flashes an official looking ID for a moment before closing it before he thinks anyone can get a good look at it.
"Agent Cash, A.R.G.U.S." He says. "We suspect a powered individual was involved, so I'm going to have to ask everyone to exit the buiding so the site can be secured."
"What is A.R.G.U.S.?"
Coldwar steps lightly away from the crime scene thankful that someone with investigative authority and capabilities had arrived.
He had just begun to appreciate the arts of detective work during his teamwork with Nightwing.
Looking a bit bored Straightjacket perks up a bit when his name is mentioned "Um, yeah, what was stolen. That sounds important. I"ll go ask the sarge. " and he hunts up Morgan to see if a list can be obtained.
He dad, as always near at hand comments "You know, being a superhero does involve crime fighting. You ought to get used to this and not look bored out of your mind. It's important. "
This prompts a grunt in reply, not wanting to talk to the air in front of their liaison.