"Well, it's been my experience with the Doctor that if you're straight with the authorities, they'll be straight with you. Well, unless they're hiding something..."
"It is not clear how we could conceal the hang gliders when we go to the Neox Complex, or how they would make an effective distraction. I am not quite as positive as you are master about the rewards of playing straight with the authorities. But I think if we go hang gliding into the Neox complex they will not be pleased. I think leaving the hang gliding equipment where it is seems wise. Is there anywhere else we can explore. I am enjoying the walk." K 9 seems thoughtful while talking but ends with obvious enthusiasm.
"I'm not very keen on interrupting Neox and the Brigadier - they don't know us, and I don't want to antagonize them too much (yet). So, wander around the castle, or find someplace to sit and wait for the demonstration?"
I agree with Bryce. Other than a general concept of "if the Doctor sent us here, something must be shady" we have no reason to be suspicious. Let's not make ourselves bad guests.
"My line of work normally finds me at odds with the authorities." Ted shrugs, and retrieves his notepad to make a note of the room they're currently in. "Either way, it might be handy to know where this is later on."
Ted moves away from the disassembled hang glider. "How about Guo? We can try to find her, she didn't really speak up at the meeting."
The Chinese emissary has a room on the ground level. It is actually a small suite of rooms. Four of the six bodyguards who accompanied her stand in a row in front of the door, gazing out expressionless.
Upon seeing the guards, Bryce leans over to Ted and whispers in his ear "I hope you speak Chinese really well...".
Ted wrinkles his nose, not having even thought about the possible language barrier. "Hello," he greets the guards, a little too loudly as if volume would help them understand him better. "We have an appointment to see Envoy Guo. We are with the Briagdier."
One of the bodyguards silently steps into the envoy's suite and returns about a minute later, saying only, "The envoy resting. She see no one now."
"Ok, so I vote we find some comfy chairs in the lobby and hang down, so we'll hear the announcement for the demo."
"So we wait master. Very well."
Probably a good idea. No sense in attracting more attention.
Ted furrows his brow at the soldier. "Are you sure? I'm sure we have a-" But he shakes his head. He really botched that attempt. "Fine." He turns quickly to join the others. in waiting for the demonstration.
The adventurers in space and time return to the entry hall of the castle and find a low bench along one wall. As they wait for the proferred invite to the demonstration to materialize, two people enter from the outside.
One has made an appearance earlier, the minister of agriculture. He is dominating an ongoing conversation with statements like, "I was promised predictions on the energy levels and frequencies of the Golden Promise's output. Without those, I can't make my reports of predicted yield increases. It is typical of the treatment I've gotten from Neox and the Brigadier. I demand a full investigation!"
The man has the nature of someone who is full of it. At least he's full of himself, which may be about the same thing.
The man he is talking to is dressed pale blue suit with a few insignia and medals on the front and wearing a light blue beret with the United Nations emblem on it. He is a handsome, tall man, with slightly greying dark hair, mustache and goatee. He listens to the man but his eyes flick over to take in the four sitting on the bench without giving anything away as to what he might be thinking. They talk as they make a line straight for the brigadier's office, where the minister opens the door without knocking and continues his rant. The UN man turns and gives the four another look before entering.
After about ten more minutes, the brigadier, Neox, the minister and the UN representative exit and head back toward the outside. Upon seeing the guests on the bench, the brigadier gestures for them to follow. Once the group gathers and catches up, the brigadier introduces all to the new arrival.
"I believe you have met before," he says, indicating Neox and the minister. "Mediator, these are associates of the Doctor. This is the Mediator General of the United Nations, Adolph Bemästra."
The mediator gives a pleasant smile and nods his head in greeting. "I have heard very positive things about this Doctor," he says with a slight Swedish accent. "I'm pleased to meet you all. You'll have to tell me more about this ... man. But that can wait. We have a demonstration to observe. I am here to make sure all parties get what they have been promised in an attitude of fair play."
While he is speaking the Chinese envoy arrives, escorted by her bodyguards.
The group then proceeds to exit the castle.
Ted nods in return to the Mediator General, eyes fixed on his beard. He glances at the Chinese envoy and her bodyguards as they arrive, wondering if the guards told her of their attempt to meet with her.
As the procession moves on toward the demonstration, Ted motions for the others to pull back out of earshot. "I'm not the only one who sees that, right?" he asks the others in a low voice. "That man's beard is clearly false. You can even see where it's glued on to his face."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr Bemästra."replies K 9 to the mediator. K 9 then moves to get a better view of the man indicated with the false mustache.
Kyle nods slowly at Ted. Yes. Yes I do.
Something was very, very wrong with this mediator. His obvious disguise was a big tip off. Kyle extended his mind, hoping to get a read off of his true thoughts.
The group heads down to the Neox complex. Neox and the brigadier lead the way past the airplane hanger toward a two story office building. The UNIT soldiers did not enter the complex but a similar number of Neox security guards pick up and flank the group at a discreet distance. At the entrance to the office building, the dignitaries enter without delay, but some Neox security types wave metal detectors around and insist on inspecting anything metal that is detected. They mainly are looking for weapons or other dangerous items, so they wave you through after giving the Temporal Trace Detector some curious looks.
By the time the group gets to the laboratory where Dr. Frutiger is preparing to do the demonstration, the other dignitaries are already seated in a row. The room has a model of the Golden Promise on a pedestal in front of the chairs. A laboratory laser is nearby. On the floor is a line of plant pots with soil in them but no plants growing in the soil. Dr. Frutiger is fiddling with some power sources near the laser. There are extra chairs in a few rows behind the others.
Ted surveys the room, then approaches one of the Neox security guards. "Hi there, Ted Trapes, I'm with the Briagadier as I'm sure you've noticed."
He places his hands in the pockets of his coat as he talks.
"Earlier today I surrendered my weapon to you fine folks, and as I'm sure you can see neither me or my friends are here with ill intent. So I was hoping you or one of your friends could see fit to returning my gun to me. It's, um..." He pauses. "A bit of an antique, I suppose. Very important to me."
K 9 looks askance at the soldiers as they scan him. When metal is registered, K 9 says "I am a cybernetic organism and largely metallic. Your device has verified that."
K 9 then falls in at Bryce's heel, looking alertly from side to side as they make their way to their seats.
The Neox guard shrugs at Ted's request and leaves the room. He comes back a few minutes later with the gun. "I'll be watching you," he warns as he hands the gun to Ted, and he pats his rifle for emphasis.
Frutiger strides overconfidently to the model of the Golden Promise, holding a remote control. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he says, “In this pedestal is Neoxita, the power behind the Golden Promise. It will revolutionize, first agriculture, then energy generation itself!”
He presses the remote control. For a full minute, nothing happens, and the audience shifts uncomfortably in their seats. Then a golden glow shines from the pedestal and the model ship begins to tremble. It rises a foot into the air and its petals open. Frutiger smiles, then focuses the laser on the ship. As the white laser passes through the petals, it splits into rainbow-colored rays, which fall on the plant pots. Shoots begin to emerge and a single golden flower blooms.
As a 31st-century guy who's into science and technology, is what he's doing commonly known in my era?
What do I know about this process?
Ted thanks the guard, nodding with understanding at the stern warning. "I understand, thank you again." Ted puts his gun away, then takes a seat in one of the extra chairs that have been set up.
The detective's eyes light up during the demonstration. "Incredible!" Ted leans forward in his chair, truly amazed at what is happening before his eyes.
The model could be floating due to any number of methods, some advanced, some perhaps just an effect a good magician could achieve. The laser seems ordinary enough, but the transformation of the laser light could involve a number of advanced technologies for absorption and production of light, if it is just light. Without instruments to get readings on the light, it's hard to tell. The rapid plant growth could be advanced biology. The oddest thing about the plant growth is the rapid reduction in entropy, implying a tremendous amount of energy.
As Bryce is puzzling this out and the others are observing it with wonder, something appears to go wrong. Smoke drifts from the model of the spaceship. One plant pot shatters. “This is perfectly normal,” says Frutiger, jabbing at the remote control. Then the laser light begins to change color and sparks start to jump from various power supplies and amplifiers. The lights go out.
In the near darkness, it becomes obvious that the pedestal above which the model is floating is glowing gold. In this light, tendrils can be seen growing from the sides. Frutiger runs from the room. All but the brigadier also flee. The brigadier draws his pistol.
Seeing events taking a turn for the worse, K 9 moves so that his body is between Bryce and the tendrils, announcing, rather superfluously "Danger!"
K 9 readies himself to use his nose laser on any tendril that tries to grab any of the party.
Ted's expression of wonder shifts quickly to worry when the model begins to smoke and pots explode. He immediately jumps out of his seat as soon as the power goes out.
"I guess this isn't normal?" he tries to call out to the doctor as he runs from the room. Ted eyes the glowing tendrils at K 9's warning, and is grateful to see the brigadier still in the room with them.
Good man.
Ted pulls out his own weapon and joins the brigadier's side. "What are these things?"
Kyle takes cover. He’s NOT equipped to fight a plant monster.
The laser is still on, just pulsing and shifting color. The tendrils do look like the ones you encountered in the simulator.
Bryce shouts "Brigadier, shoot the laser!" and backs away from the tendrils.
K 9 is going to fire his nose laser at the laser that seems to be causing the tendrils to grow.
Brigadier:
Kyle:
K-9:
Brigadier:
Target:1=Bryce,2=K-9,3=Kyle,4=Ted+Brigadier
Tendril 1:
Tendril 2:
Tendril 3:
Tendril 4:
Bryce:
Brigadier:
As Ted reaches the brigadier's side, he notices the remote control that Dr. Fruitiger used to start the demonstration.
Bryce gives the Brigadier the idea of shooting the laser. The officer was going to shoot at the tendrils, but he changes targets and shoots at the laser, just missing.
K-9 hits the laser and disables it. But the tendrils continue to lash out and the model of the Golden Promise, still smoking, hovers above the glowing pedestal. It seems the model is the key to the energy amplification is something within the model or the pedestal
The four tendrils have formed and begin reaching out. One succeeds in grabbing Bryce while the others try to grab the brigadier. The brigadier keeps just out of reach.
"Help is coming Mr Bryce"exclaims the cybernetic dog as he fires his nose laser at the tendril holding Bryce, trying to hit the tendril between Bryce and where it is sprouting from, closer to the latter.
Kyle grits his teeth. He can’t let Bryce get hurt!
Kyle is going to try to find a mirror to break the laser’s path.
Ted spots the remote control, then looks to the brigadier.
"I'm going to make a run for Dr. Fruitigler's device," he says quickly. "Cover me." With that, Ted holds down his hat and takes off, watching out for the lasers and tendrils filling the room.
Kyle grits his teeth. He can’t let Bryce get hurt!
Kyle is going to try to find a mirror to break the laser’s path.
K-9's nose blaster took out the laser last round. As soon as the laser failed, the tendrils stopped growing but something is still giving them energy, something apparently related to the ship and/or the pedestal over which it hovers.
Ted spots the remote control, then looks to the brigadier.
"I'm going to make a run for Dr. Fruitigler's device," he says quickly. "Cover me." With that, Ted holds down his hat and takes off, watching out for the lasers and tendrils filling the room.
Bryce shouts "Brigadier, shoot the model!" and tries to break free of the tendril's grasp :
Tendril:
K-9 has a Nose Blaster which deals either 4/8/L damage or 2/4/S damage on
Stun.
Tendril is destroyed, Brcye is freed.
Ted: 7
Tendril:
Brigadier:
Kyle:
As Bryce struggles with the tendril, K-9 blasts it at its base and it falls lifeless to the floor. Ted tries to grab the remote but a tendril wraps around him and begins to squeeze.
As the tendrils continue to threaten the Brigadier, he makes a crack shot to hit the model of the Golden Promise and it crashes to the floor in a shower of sparks.
The tendrils immediately start to flail and lose strength and quickly shrivel into husks. The lights flicker on as the pedestal cracks open and stops glowing. Inside is a gold colored amorphous blob.
Kyle is looking at the strange sight of tendrils writhing about and his companions struggling mightily against it all when he is overcome with a vision. He is looking at a view screen of a high tech instrument console and sees an aerial perspective London but there is no sign of human activity, just buildings which look as if they have been neglected and ravished by nature for centuries. He feels a sense of horror and then a woman's arms wrap around him for comfort. Gradually he is brought out of the vision by the ministrations of the others.
The Axons described their technology as having taken a more organic route, and claimed Axonite to be the source of all their growth technology. Axos also possessed some power of time travel, being able to make time jumps that could only travel moments into the past. It could incorporate alien technology into itself (though some was not compatible) and improved the technology with Axonite. It poses a tremendous threat to earth. If Axons are allowed to proliferate, they would suck all energy from the earth and then they would be powerful enough to teleport and travel in time.
If the Golden Promise is launched, it appears it could use Axonite as the power source and send energy to create Axon plants and then the plants could absorb life energy from earth. The launch must not be allowed to take place. It appears someone has brought a supply of Axonite to earth.
"Master, you seem unharmed."K 9 inspects Bryce for signs of damage and sees none, so K 9 continues "You see that blob in what was the pedestal. It is alien matter that is capable of absorbing and emitting immense quantities of energy. Master, do you recall the Doctor relating details of an encounter with a species he called Axons or Axos? This blob is Axonite. The Axon's technology is organic, and they claim Axonite to be the source of all their growth technology. Axos also possessed some power of time travel, being able to make time jumps that could only travel moments into the past. It could incorporate alien technology into itself (though some was not compatible) and improved the technology with Axonite. This poses a tremendous threat to earth! If Axons are allowed to proliferate, they would suck all energy from the earth and then they would be powerful enough to teleport and travel in time.
If the Golden Promise is launched, it appears it could use Axonite as the power source and send energy to create Axon plants and then the plants could absorb life energy from earth. The launch must not be allowed to take place. It appears someone has brought a supply of Axonite to earth. I do not know who. It is unfortunate The Doctor is not here, his abilities would be invaluable. We must prevent this without him it seems."