Rachnid shrugs and says nothing. After a moment, the swarm lifts off of her house and flies away, followed by the heavy thudding of feet as Rachnid joins you in your escape.
Take the lead, you should know where it is, right? 626 says just after they disappear around the corner.
As you turn to run, Rachnid does not move. Instead, he points at the guard, and before the man can so much as scream, he is covered in wasps. Fortunately for him, he is dead before he hits the ground.
Without a word, Rachnid will move around the back of the house.
Let's get this thing and get out of here before the real cops arrive. 626 says as he speeds around back to the broken window.
Have your friends located that gun thing yet?
"Nahyet, but de's looken. We should peeps ourselfs."
Moving in through the broken window, You see that there are insects everywhere. Most of the rooms are furnished in what could easily be called "mail-order catalogue" style. The only thing of note is a hermetically sealed door, that you would guess leads to the basement.
Basements aren't usually sealed... he tries the door.
Crap. Well, you just killed a guy with your powers, so I guess that cat's out of the bag. He flicks his wrist and a blade of energetic plasma leaps into existence. A fraction of a second layer the room grows dark as 626's blade drains the light from the room. He attempts to use the blade to destroy the locking mechanism.
It is indeed locked, and there is an obvious digital scanner to the left-hand side (near the door handle).
"Cat's been oudda the bag man. I'm juss waitin for da otha shoo to drop."
The door is made of reinforced steel, and the locking mechanism is some sort of scanner, similar to what you would see in a grocery store. You could probably hack it, but it would take some time and tools, even just makeshift ones.
Just before he activates his blade 626 reaches out and flicks the door. He feels the structure of the door and the pad and sighs. Reinforced steel. With a scanner for entry. I don't suppose you brought any hacking tools, did you?
Rachnid says "I donno do computa stuff so well."
As you ram your blade into the ground, there is a tearing sound of metal on metal, followed by the distinctive sound of something electrical sparking. Then, the power in the house goes out.
"Crikey. Dat's helpful." says Rachnid as the door pops open.
Opening the door, you can see emergency lights spinning and can hear the sounds of gears grinding.
Let's get what we need and get out.
626 hurries in, but keeps his eyes open. No telling what could be down here and if it was League related then they had very little time indeed.
Making your way into the lab, this is clearly where the doctor spent the majority of her time. Half-finished inventions are neatly stacked in sealed containers on shelves that line both sides of the room. The main thing that draws your eyes, however, is the giant canister of what appears to be glass sitting at the far end of the room. In the canister is a whirling cloud of what appears to be black sand. It is constantly in motion, but whatever is causing it to move is not apparent.
There are several tablets and a central computer on the central table of the room, but most of the workspace has been tidied.
Rachnid moves to one side of the wall and begins searching through the plastic containers.
Neither of you find the object you're looking for in any of the containers, but several of the things here seem like they have potential for interesting tools or weapons.
After you finish checking your side of the wall, you notice that the swirling mist in the canister has formed a face, and is intently staring at you.
626 does a double take, then waves at the face as if he's late to the party. Oh! Hello. Nevermind us, we'll be in our way in a minute.
He then goes back to searching. Or he appears to. He actuary focusing on scanning the thing, gently, with every sense he has both telekinetic and telepathic.
The glass is blocking your ability to telekinetically scan the mist, but to your telepathy, the mist screams like one hundred thousand tiny voices at the same time, each saying or doing something else.
626 relays this info to Rachnid telepathically. Don't make the face angry or let it out. I don't have an effective method of dealing with nanites at the moment.
And he continues his search.
Spending several minutes, you are rewarded with what looks like the device you were sent with....mostly. All of the pieces are there, but the cover is popped off [ooc]basically, the plastic case has a seam that runs in the middle of the top edge-/ooc] and a piece or two appears to be missing.
You look around some more and don't find it.
Rachnid says "Whachu wann do?"
If the Rat wanted an exhaustive search he should have sent someone else. We have what we came for, let's get out of here.
On his way out, 626 grabs whatever looks expensive and is easy to carry. If this is supposed to be a burglary gone bad then let's make it look good.
Rachnid chuckles and shows you the garbage bag that he has filled up with stuff (mostly materials, from the looks of things).
Making your way outside, you are not accosted. No one even bothers you as you make your way to the gate and are let out
626 and Rachnid retreat to their pad and 626 suggests that they pack up. The league is going to be on our trail now. I think we should get back to Mr. Rat ASAP. After they find that guard I don't think they'll want to talk first and shoot second.
"you not wrong, but Rachnid said he wanted bodys, so he get bodys."
626 nods. True enough. Let's get moving.
The guard opens the gate, waves at you, and then closes the gate behind you. Once again you make your way back towards the ship, and once again Rachnid makes the occasional gesture, presumably dismissing his massive swarm as he goes.
Arriving at the launch for the ship, you are taken back aboard and brought to Rapture. "So, what do you have to report? I'm sorry, Rachnid, but I'd rather hear it from 626. The way that you talk gives me a headache."
626 considers hitting the Rai with the full psychic experience all at once to see if his nose started bleeding, but decided that it wouldn't be overly productive to do so. He tosses the bags of loot at the Rat's feet and reports, "We cased the house, killed everyone on the property, and took whatever we could to confuse any investigation. That Gun thing doesn't look complete, but we couldn't find the missing bits and get out cleanly so I decided to get out.
Also, there was a swarm of nanites in the basement that appeared to be an experiment in sentience or something similar. They formed a face, but were not as coordinated as a proper swarm should have been.
And that's about it.
While reporting he keeps a finder on the surface thoughts and reactions of those around him just in case someone got careless and revealed why the Rat wanted a toy gun or any other useful bits of info.
As you complete your briefing, Rapture just starts laughing.
"You stupid b1tc#, you actually gave them sentience?"
Rapture then nods at you. "Since you've brought us this, I'll explain what it does, but first, I have a question. How much do you know about molecular biology?"
626 shakes his head. I was never allowed to study along those lines.
626 fights back a minor resurgence of repressed memories of his training without a flinch.
"Let me see if I can explain this: imagine that the cells in your body as...legos. Yes, those little toy blocks. The little nubs on them in this analogy would be electrons, or small particles that connect the blocks together. To stick to my analogy, this device is a hacksaw, strong enough to cut off the nubs." He pauses for a moment, then says "Or to put it another way, this device destroys electrons. Not dismisses them or disperses them, but destroys them. That's what you've brought me. Good work!" He clasps you on the shoulder, then is called off by some other emergency.
626's mind spins with the possibility and applications of such a device, but his face remains passive. This was not good. He didn't have all the bits for the weapon (because that is what it would surely become), true, but that wasn't any huge barrier. Why was such a device in an unguarded house in the first place?
He spends the ready of his day risking around the ship scanning for info. And chatting with folks. He wants a read on the Rat's operation and who is in middle management. He wants to know the important cogs in the Rat's machine. Not the drivers or engines of activity, but the transmissions that make that activity happen. He will sneakily collect a bit of them when he locates them. A hair here, a bit of something else there.
a cozy parlor room. In the dream they see a crackling fire in a large, stone hearth. Before the fire on a large, soft, red rug sit two deep, high backed arm chairs. The old, blind man from the Box sits across from you. He smiles and offers you a drink. You look over and, as often happens in dreams, a glass of your choice beverage is sitting beside you on a beautifully carved end table.
I'm not sure how you want to handle this and I don't know if they will be able to respond soon, but I thought it would be interesting for them to start having weird dreams. They could hop in here to avoid cluttering that thread if you wanted. It's your call, of course.
Your investigations into the crew shows that they all have something that protects them from telepathy, but they are a disciplined, orderly crew, most of whom come across as former military.
The Adventurers that you have escaped with, on the other hand, are a motley crew of people that run most of the moral spectrum. None of them appear to be particularly well shielded from telepathy, other than a couple of people who are most likely telepaths themselves. 'Snooping' with your blindsense has revealed to you that there are several hidden compartments of the ship, which to deduce by comparing the width and length of the ship with the mental map that you make as you walk around it.
There are some areas of the ship that are off limits, of course: The engine room, the bridge, and a couple of what you are pretty sure are labs, but even excluding those areas you are fairly certain that there are some hidden spaces on the ship.
626 is secretly attempting to get a read on the sensitive points on the Rat's organisation. Is there someone who's absence would destabilize the entire organization? For example, if the chief quarter master suddenly has a massive nervous breakdown, will that cripple his ability to move supplies?
He will also get to know his fellow "freelancers". If the Rat were to fall or come under attack, how many would defend him?
He is also slowly collecting bits of whomever is important. It makes his dreams do much note... Personal.
As the men with blades rush the stage, Outrun, Shad, Kailynn, and Console Cowboy move to engage them. A battle ensues, with neither side giving ground. On the stage, however, is a different story. Templar continues to choke the unnamed assailant, who seems uneffected by it, but continues to make choking sounds for some reason.
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626 passes the time after his successful mission learning the inner workings of the ship and it's crew. While they appear to have some sort of means of protection from telepathic intrusion, 626 learned a long time ago that simple observation works just fine when his abilities fail.
As he is watching two of the ship's crew he suspects are engaged in a surrepeteous affair, Everything freezes.
A voice rings out, plain as day. "No, no, no. This will not do at all. You're not supposed to be on a ship right now. You're supposed to be in Virginia. This simply will not do."
Turning, you see a young Anglican woman wearing a dress that was fashionable during turn of the 17th century in London.
"What are you doing here?" she asks of you, much like you might ask of an animal that had wandered inside your home.
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Finally tiring of toying with Templar, the man does a move that would best be described as sliding out of Templar's hands. He is now hovering in the air, and standing several feet from the stage, while remaining at the same height he would be at if he was still on it.
He opens his mouth to speak and nothing comes out.
"Hush now, you're being rude." comes a voice from an older woman wearing clothes of a style none of you recognize; She is wearing what appears to be an upside-down umbrella around her neck, polka dot tights that go to mid thigh, and a top that appears to be a single strip of cloth that wraps around her arms and torso while leaving a space between each rotation. On her feet are what appear to be Frisbees with a single strap that goes over the top of her foot.
Her gaze sweeps the room, until it alights on Simile' and Hypatia. Then, she frowns and says "What is this, then? What are you doing here? This is the second time something like this has happened! Why aren't you in Virginia? Tut tut, can't have someone monkeying around with the timeline, now can we?"
Standing, the umbrella thing descends to her waits and forms a horizontal plane which begins spinning slightly.
"You two should come with me now." after thinking for a moment, she adds "Please."
626 looks her up and down. Thankfully he doesn't need to move his head or milk-white eyes to do so. He's seen a lot in his decades, but those clothes belonged in a museum even to him. Still, it would not do to be rude. He gives a tip of his non-existent hat. Not dying, my lady. He pings her telepathically, but only a ping. Beings that talk like that are usually best left alone. If you have a way to get me out of my current predicament then I would hear it. Otherwise I will continue as I was.
Simile glances over at Hypatia, "Well, since you did say please." and takes a step towards the woman.
"And I hear Virginia is very nice this time of year." Hypatia glances back at Simile
Of interest when it comes to talking about the adventurers with real power, there are none that are really known to have the ability to effect time or time travel.
There is, however, someone that is rumored to be able to control space and time within their timeline (basically any point between her birth and death). This person's existance is one of the more prevalant internet rumors, with conspiracy theorists having pictures of what they claim to be the same person in multiple locations.
The Lecture Hall
"Well, isn't that lovely. So proper." she moves next to each of you and places one hand on one of each of your shoulders, and you suddenly find yourselves near a superpowered brawl.
"I shall return shortly." she says and then is gone.
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The Ship
"I can help you, yes. Looks like you have a bit of the old bad blood, as we used to say. This will be tricky, but I need you to imagine....well, you're a telepath, right? It might just be easier to show you" with that, she places a hand on either side of your head and you get a vision of the blood vessels moving through your circulatory system. You then see what is clearly different blood that is muscling it's way through your same veins.
"Keep your mind focused on that blood. It would be dreadful if your concentration slipped and we accidently pulled up a lung."
You maintain the image in your brain, ironically thanks to the years of training by your former master.
"Okay, I think I have it all. Hang on, this will get a bit..." you don't actually hear the rest of her words, as you begin vomiting blood. It takes the longest moments you've had in a while, but you finally stop heaving, and feel a bit light-headed.
Once the dry-heaving stops, she says "Let's take a look, shall we?" and then proceeds to force your mind right back into your veins, where she flows through them, into your brain and various organs. After sweeping through several times, she says "Spot on. Well done! Now let's go and join your friends!" and without a word you find yourself standing next to Hypatia and Simile.
"There you go then, right as rain. Best of luck to you all!"
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Arlington, Virginia
The fight between adventurers, in this case a mustachioed man wearing a tuxedo and tophat and a guy whose skin appears to be made of stone, continues as soon as the mysterious woman disappears. The man in the top hat waves a walking stick and the man of stone slams into a wall made of concrete.
Simile looks at the fight and then at Hypatia "Um, do you think we should help one of them, or maybe try and break this up?"
The experience of decontamination is awful. On a scale of 1-10 it was easily a 7. When it's over, however, 626 feels better than he has since leaving the Box. His Chains are broken!
My eternal thanks to you, my lady. is all he's able to get out before she has moved him... somewhere. Two men are duking it out and two of his Box companions stand beside him, one is Similie, the shadow-government member, and the other is the notorious criminal leader Box who shares a name with his paradise lost.
"Um, do you think we should help one of them, or maybe try and break this up?"
626 nods. I'm normally not one who cares about general property damage, but we were dropped her for a reason. Let's break it up until we know who to join.
Oh, and hello. Nice to see you two again.With that a staff appears in his hand. It is colored white and red like a blind man's but the colors swirl and twist around its length. At the top is a crystal in the shape of a watchful yet iris-less eye held aloft by a human hand on one side and the claws of a great feline paw on the other.
I'll take the top hat if you ladies would like the living statute? He asks without looking in your direction.
Similie adjusts her skin density as she approaches the rock man. "Excuse me, could you perhaps inform us as to what's going on here."
626 watches closely. The first thing to do is to stop them from their engagement. He readies one of the spells granted by his staff and waits.
Wanting to know more about why the two gentlemen are fighting, and what side to intervene in (if any) Hypatia casts Detect Thoughts , focusing first on the surface thoughts of the Dapper Gentleman.
Turning towards you, the man made of stone says "Get back little girl. I don't want you to get hurt."
Surprisingly enough, you get that he is focused on the fight, with most of his focus being between when and how to attack and which spells to cast. You are pretty sure that he is a magician, and not someone who can just command the earth to rise.
She won't be hurt if you do not attack, sir! 626 says forcefully. And even if you do, my money's on her. Now, both of you, stand down before you get put down!
Before probing deeper and risking the spell being disrupted Hypatia will use her next action to shift her attention to the Stone Man and read his surface thoughts.
The man in the tuxedo takes the momentary distraction granted by you all talking to the stone man to wave his hands and then say something in what sounds like one of the many Eastern European languages, and then fog begins billowing out of the sleeves of his outstretched arms, quickly filling the entire area.
"Damn it, he's getting away. Again." growls the man made of stone, who goes running into the fog.
626 laughs. Oh no you don't, big boy. He taps his staff on the ground and a sphere of invisible force ten feet wide springs up around the dapper genleman.