Lab techs flee from down the back rooms of the facility. "Oh, my god! He's back there! He's trying to kill us!"
Nissa is horrified by the video.
”Oh… L.C. That poor woman!”
When she sees the younger woman with the man tied to the chair, she asks, “Wait—wha…? Who’s she? Is she…?”
Nissa calms herself a little and asks the guards, “I don’t suppose you recognize the young, costumed woman or the man in the chair, do you?”
When it’s time to enter the greenhouse, Nissa says to Preston, “Let me know if you need me to get a close look, like at the atomic level. Or if you need me to fly. Anything you need, L.C.” She draws a gun because better safe than sorry.
Theo nods at Karen. "I'll hail us a cab." Within a few minutes, both godling and kineticist are on route back to the Boston Theoretical.
Charles glances over at the Colonel. "We'd better get back there," he says, as he starts jogging the direction people are running from.
Theo nods at Karen. "I'll hail us a cab." Within a few minutes, both godling and kineticist are on route back to the Boston Theoretical.
Before Theo and Verve leave, the one member of #factcheckers who recognized Theo snags a selfie while her friends standing, oblivious, in the background, absorbed by the gross video.
As you get into the cab, you hear her say, "Hey, super-sleuths, guess what you missed." The hovercab asks where you're going and, when you say, 'Boston Theoretical' zooms off with you toward your destination. It's one of those old-fashioned cabs that has the upper body of an robot positioned in the front as if it were driving. The android asks you if you would like it to chatter or remain silent during the trip. Apparently, it's settings are 'chatter,' 'helpful,' and 'just drive.'
Regardless of which setting you choose, 10 minutes later, you are in downtown Boston.
Nissa is horrified by the video.
”Oh… L.C. That poor woman!”
When she sees the younger woman with the man tied to the chair, she asks, “Wait—wha…? Who’s she? Is she…?”
Nissa calms herself a little and asks the guards, “I don’t suppose you recognize the young, costumed woman or the man in the chair, do you?”
When it’s time to enter the greenhouse, Nissa says to Preston, “Let me know if you need me to get a close look, like at the atomic level. Or if you need me to fly. Anything you need, L.C.” She draws a gun because better safe than sorry.
The guard, the one who did not recognize Nissa, says he does not know the costume woman, but as you head into the greenhouse you hear him mutter to his friend, "Transdimensional my ass. It's just their kind. Supers." Apparently he's not a fan of superpowered beings.
As you enter the greenhouse you see a room full of whithered plants. Pacifying the plants that attacked Mrs. Handel apparently required chemical sprays, because a powdery dust covers some areas.
A tipped over chair sits in the center of the room. An active computer terminal sits in the corner.
Charles glances over at the Colonel. "We'd better get back there," he says, as he starts jogging the direction people are running from.
Colonel Greer is right with you as you push past the lab techs running the other direction. You enter a room and you see a dog out of the history books, the dreaded pit bull. It's lying on the floor, panting, and seeming a little wiped out. He's obviously torn through several cages of 'jungle pets' and consumed everything. The place is a bloody mess, literally. No dead humans though.
The dog jumps up when you enter and growls a warning growl, but then does a 'play bow' to signal that fighting isn't the only available option, and wags its tail suggestively.
Colonel Greer says, "Careful, Charles ... It looks like it might attack."
Charles cocks his head to one side. Even with how hungry these things had to be after going full-size, this dog had probably eaten enough to be full, and dogs *were* domesticated animals. It seemed uncertain about the whole situation, not like it was being forced to be agressive.
"It might if we spook it, but if we're careful..." he murmurs.
He spreads his upper arms--wondering idly if the cloak masks his scent as well as his appearance--and crouches down a bit. "Easy now, we won't hurt you. Did you get enough to eat? It doesn't really matter what I say as long as it's in a soothing tone, does it?"
Nissa turns to L.C. “Let me make sure the room is secure. Do you need one of these?”
She pats her left holster, and hands L.C. a gun if she wants one.
Nissa then searches the room…
…focused more on potential threats than anything else.
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Charles cocks his head to one side. Even with how hungry these things had to be after going full-size, this dog had probably eaten enough to be full, and dogs *were* domesticated animals. It seemed uncertain about the whole situation, not like it was being forced to be agressive.
"It might if we spook it, but if we're careful..." he murmurs.
He spreads his upper arms--wondering idly if the cloak masks his scent as well as his appearance--and crouches down a bit. "Easy now, we won't hurt you. Did you get enough to eat? It doesn't really matter what I say as long as it's in a soothing tone, does it?"
[dice=Survival]1d20+6
The pitbull wobbles over, its stomach heavy from all the lab-created pets it has just consumed, and, cautiously, brings its doggy nose up to Charles' face and sniffs deeply. It begins to sniff all around, fascinated by Charles, then wags its tail enthusiastically.
"Well, that was easy! He's not such a bad guy" says Colonel Greer, starting to stretch out his hand to pet the dog, but does not realize dogs don't like a hand moving over the face to pet the head. The dog snarls and steps back from Colonel Greer and closer to Charles. Colonel Greer pulls his hand back again and looks embarrassed, "I'm more of a cat person myself. And horses. My first assignment in the army was working care of horses."
Nissa turns to L.C. “Let me make sure the room is secure. Do you need one of these?”
She pats her left holster, and hands L.C. a gun if she wants one.
Nissa then searches the room…
[dice=Perc]d20+2
[dice=Init]d20+3…focused more on potential threats than anything else.
L.C. Preston heads over to the terminal and looks at what's on the screen, and tells Nissa, "A bunch of addresses. Shipping plants. Nissa, look ou-"
L.C.'s warning comes too late. A vine, like the ones that attacked one of the greenhouse's owners, slashes Nissa's legs and wraps tightly around them. Despite the surprise attack, Nissa has the initiative.
☀️
With Preston not taking the offered gun, Nissa has one in each hand. She fires both at the attacking plant!
Through the pain, she says, “Get to safety, L.C!”
☀️
With Preston not taking the offered gun, Nissa has one in each hand. She fires both at the attacking plant!
Through the pain, she says, “Get to safety, L.C!”
L.C. grabs some gardening shears off the rack and says "Not a chance!"
L.C. manages to hack into the vine a bit, but it is still coming at you. The vine is fairly long and she is 10 feet away.
The slashing vine deals another 10 points of damage.
☀️☀️
♥️
Nissa says, ”I split atoms, L.C! Step a few feet opposite the way I do! Hurry! I’m about to explode!”
She shifts 5 ft away from Preston and fires away!
L.C. does not need to be told twice. She heads in the opposite direction. She gets about 5 feet further away from you when the vine wraps around her ankles and puts her on the ground very hard.
“Don’t you touch her!!” Nissa shouts at the vine as she shifts in another five feet—just enough to ensure Preston is out of reach.
Time slows to a crawl—
Nissa sees nothing but atoms around her. She focuses on the one nearest to her, slamming it with her body—at this size, she is more energy than matter. She isn’t sure if it’s her knee or her fist that strikes the atom. It expands—and she does!
—there is a deafening blast! Fire everywhere!
And Nissa feels the armor converge onto her. The guns are in her hands! Did I stop that thing? Is L.C. okay…?
The pitbull wobbles over, its stomach heavy from all the lab-created pets it has just consumed, and, cautiously, brings its doggy nose up to Charles' face and sniffs deeply. It begins to sniff all around, fascinated by Charles, then wags its tail enthusiastically.
"Well, that was easy! He's not such a bad guy" says Colonel Greer, starting to stretch out his hand to pet the dog, but does not realize dogs don't like a hand moving over the face to pet the head. The dog snarls and steps back from Colonel Greer and closer to Charles. Colonel Greer pulls his hand back again and looks embarrassed, "I'm more of a cat person myself. And horses. My first assignment in the army was working care of horses."
"You do it like this, Colonel," Charles says, carefully demonstrating appropriate dog-petting technique on the pitbull. "Odd, it seems like he got hit with the same thing that made the others grow to full size, but not whatever was affecting their minds to make them more aggressive. He still had issues with the whole I-just-spent-more-calories-than-were-in-my-whole-body thing, though," he nods at the dog's stomach.
"Think maybe we could take him somewhere and have him checked over? A DNA sample or something might give some clues to what happened, and of course we'll need to make sure he's in good health and not about to keep growing or something."
And Nissa feels the armor converge onto her. The guns are in her hands! Did I stop that thing? Is L.C. okay…?
Most of the vine shrivels and whithers as if by several weeks of hot sun and no rain. The little piece that was holding L.C. Preston's legs begins crawling away. The good doctor murders it with the gardening shears and then sits down looking relieved.
"Should we tell the guys outside they missed one?" asks L.C. Before you can reply, the two soldiers have burst in an are surprised by the scene.
"Think maybe we could take him somewhere and have him checked over? A DNA sample or something might give some clues to what happened, and of course we'll need to make sure he's in good health and not about to keep growing or something."
"I think we'll need to take it back to Boston Theoretical," says Colonel Greer, petting the dog as Charles showed him. "We can't be entirely sure he isn't a transdimensional visitor."
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Nissa blows on each barrel and puts the guns in their respective holsters. Smiling at Preston, she says, “You’re pretty lethal with those garden shears. I mean it, L.C. Fighting alongside you was pretty awesome.”
She enjoys being able to see eye-to-eye with L.C. She wants to throw her arms around her and… aaaand the guards barge in. Of course they do.
Nissa turns to them, beaming with the afterglow of victory.
“I appreciate the concern gentlemen, but it was no match for a superheroine duo. As I said, I’m the Bombshell, and this is Shear Awesomeness.” She adds with a conspiratorial whisper, “Mild-mannered scientist Dr. Preston is her secret identity. Please keep it that way.”
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As the guards return to their posts outside muttering, you hear one say to the other "What do you mean you've never heard of Shear Awesomeness?"
Charles nods. "Well, as long as we don't do anything to startle him he'll probably come along with us pretty happily now. Though I wonder if he'll have some pretty strange metabolic requirements for a while."
He pauses, then grins a bit. "So does this mean we'll have a mascot?"
Charles nods. "Well, as long as we don't do anything to startle him he'll probably come along with us pretty happily now. Though I wonder if he'll have some pretty strange metabolic requirements for a while."
He pauses, then grins a bit. "So does this mean we'll have a mascot?"
The Colonel grins too. He's always wanted a dog.
He's still grinning as he gets the terrified clerk to give him the video from all of the different cameras.
"Let's get this big guy back to the base ... I mean, the labs," he chuckles.
"I have a better idea about how to deal with our injured executive."
Colonel Greer getting the video from other cameras reminds Charles of something. "Oh, yeah! When we were looking at that footage--there was a reflection of someone outside looking in during the event. I think I saw an external-facing camera?"
With the guards out of the way and the killer plants dead, Nissa has Dr. Preston to herself now. She stands beside her, still having to look up (as a human toddler would) if L.C. sits tall. “I saw you fall pretty hard. If you need medical attention, let me know. But if all that plant did is wear you down, maybe we can meditate together.”
“I took a couple good hits myself, so this’ll benefit both of us.” Looking at the vine impaled on the shears, she adds, “It’s not like your sample will get away.”
Colonel Greer getting the video from other cameras reminds Charles of something. "Oh, yeah! When we were looking at that footage--there was a reflection of someone outside looking in during the event. I think I saw an external-facing camera?"
"He- he- here you are,s- sir," says the clerk, sending the data file your way while keeping his eyes on the dog.
With the guards out of the way and the killer plants dead, Nissa has Dr. Preston to herself now. She stands beside her, still having to look up (as a human toddler would) if L.C. sits tall. “I saw you fall pretty hard. If you need medical attention, let me know. But if all that plant did is wear you down, maybe we can meditate together.”
“I took a couple good hits myself, so this’ll benefit both of us.” Looking at the vine impaled on the shears, she adds, “It’s not like your sample will get away.”
"Yeah, meditate ... right after killing a killer plant," says L.C. Preston. "Two things I've never done and both in one day."
After the meditation, L.C. says "Not that this hasn't been great, but I'd like to get this sample back to the labs."
Nissa needs to meditate in mote form. It’s the fastest way to get out of her armor.
Once fully rested, she’s surprised Preston doesn’t want to look around. If all she needed was the one sample, they could have meditated in the cab. And could you think straight during your first battle? The one where you got swatted trying to explode in Grendel’s face?
Nissa offers to gather some of the dried up remains as well, if L.C. thinks it will help.
Once in the cab, she asks, “So… I’m sure you were having none of that clear-your-mind crap. I tend to reflect on stuff when I meditate—I mean, like, my mind’s gonna wander if I try thinking of nothing like those gurus say. But me, I just make peace with whatever’s eating me.
“When Grendel swatted me like an insect—the first time I tried that exploding thing on him?—that’s what I reflected on. How to use that power without endangering the people I’m trying to help.
“Of course the solution’s simple and obvious—communicate. I figured ‘I split atoms’ would do the trick for you. May I ask what you were thinking about just now?
“Or—if you’re not comfortable sharing the thought—did the meditation help?”
"The meditation was interesting. I have trouble not thinking constantly, slowing down my mind."
“But me, I just make peace with whatever’s eating me.”
"Yeah, but what about when the thing that is eating you is a plant?"
“We kicked its butt. Or its root. Whatever the botanical equivalent of a butt is.”
Nissa places her hand gently on Preston’s.
“I was thinking about you. You’re a scientist. You know it’s my job to go into the danger, not away from it. You could have called the guards, but you didn’t, though I’m sure your brilliant mind saw the logic in that. I thought saying ‘get to safety’ would communicate I was okay with you going to the guards.
“But you didn’t listen to your brain. You followed your heart and grabbed those shears!” Nissa gives the doctor’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Sheer awesomeness—I mean that, L.C. Thanks for caring too much to risk me facing that thing alone.”
At that moment, a cab drops off two people in front of Boston Theoretical. Karen runs ahead as Theo follows, mainly because the godling can barely remember where to go in his towering maze of rooms and labs.
Verve leads Theo back in and says "You want the nickel tour I was given?" She says with a sweeping gesture towards the hallway.
Theo shrugs, "Why not."
There are always new people at Boston Theoretical, at least, on the first level. There is definitely a civilian and a military side of things, with barriers in between. The entrance is so welcoming you almost expect to see a gift shop, but pass through a guarded checkpoint and into the secure area and things get quieter and the signage more ambiguous. There is, for example, one lab labelled NNNNN; there is nothing else to indicate what might be happening within.
As you work your way through the maze, the corridors get longer and the labs bigger.
You get a message saying that Colonel Greer wants you to meet him in the containment area, which has recently been converted to work as a makeshift dormitory.
L.C. Preston designed this cells to be adaptable for whatever type of creature was brought back through any transdimensional portal Dr. Moore eventually managed to open. That's made them surprisingly easy to convert into rather nice living quarters.
"And you know this room." Verve gestures towards the containment area. "These are our accomedations. Just remember what I said about the cafeteria: avoid anything with the words Taco, Mexican, or Tex-Mex and you should be fine."
Charles takes a good look at the footage from the external-facing camera before he and the Colonel leave.
Charles takes a good look at the footage from the external-facing camera before he and the Colonel leave.
Charles sees a man and a woman. The woman seems to be garbed in plants; the man in furs. They both have brown hair and lightly tanned skin skin. The man is muttering and stretching a hand out towards the labs.
The woman is talking, but there is no audio.
The Colonel grabs the video file to show the others later.
"I don't see any tentacles, but that's not a guarantee they're from our dimension. I'm still calling this TAROT's jurisdiction!" says the Colonel smiling, clearly happy for the adventure.
Back in the military copter. It sits on a bed of four propellers that lift it off the ground until it is high enough for the larger propeller blades up top to extend. As you fly back towards Boston Theoretical, Colonel Greer asks the copter, "SEN 5241, place an audio only call for me to Scarlett Meadows."
"Got something you're trying to hide, Colonel?" says a woman's voice a minute later.
"It deeply saddens me that we will never be in the same room together," says Colonel Greer, "But I've got far too many secrets and no way to keep them from you."
Silence at the other end.
Colonel Greer sounding somewhat awkward, "Ms. Meadows, I'm sending a hovercar to pick you up. We are in need of your telepathic abilities at Ft. Kaepernick military hospital. Audio off. End call."
"That woman intimidates me. She can pluck a few things from your mind just by looking at your face through a video screen. She'll ask Mr. Handel the questions we need."
"And you know this room." Verve gestures towards the containment area. "These are our accomedations. Just remember what I said about the cafeteria: avoid anything with the words Taco, Mexican, or Tex-Mex and you should be fine."
Dr. Moore comes rushing at Theo and Verve and soon as he sees them. Having now spent about 65 hours inside of Boston Theoretical's secure section, he seems kind of frantic. "Theo? ... How's it going, Theo? ... Any news, or anything from the outside world?"
Clearly he is not suited for a life of extremely comfortable captivity.
“Sheer awesomeness—I mean that, L.C. Thanks for caring too much to risk me facing that thing alone.”
As the cab pulls up to Boston Theoretical, L.C. says "So, next outing ... how about a picnic in a greenhouse?"
She doesn't wait for a reaction, just gets out and heads into the building.
Charles shudders just a bit. "Is that... really necessary?" he asks.
Nissa says to L.C., “I actually would love to go on a picnic, and I even know a place that’s way less deadly than a greenhouse. Are you free on July 7th? There’s a nice winery not far from Harvard—the town, not… y’know. Great place for a picnic, but not ’til next month. Or a later date, if I happen to be in another dimension on the seventh.”
Dr. Moore comes rushing at Theo and Verve and soon as he sees them. Having now spent about 65 hours inside of Boston Theoretical's secure section, he seems kind of frantic. "Theo? ... How's it going, Theo? ... Any news, or anything from the outside world?"
Clearly he is not suited for a life of extremely comfortable captivity.
"Nothing much. Had a nice dinner, found possible dinosaurs killing people, you know, the usual."
Dr. Moore comes rushing at Theo and Verve and soon as he sees them. Having now spent about 65 hours inside of Boston Theoretical's secure section, he seems kind of frantic. "Theo? ... How's it going, Theo? ... Any news, or anything from the outside world?"
Clearly he is not suited for a life of extremely comfortable captivity.
"Nothing much. Had a nice dinner, found possible dinosaurs killing people, you know, the usual."
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20 + 9
Dr. Moore attempts to communicate, with his eyes, the very important message 'yes, yes ... but what about my drugs!? but gives up when he sees Dr. Preston.
As Nissa walks in just behind Dr. Preston he shouts, "Definite Mandela Effect! Massive! He taps away on a screen and then projects a news article onto the nearest wall. The headline reads and then the subheading reads: ."
Dr. Moore seems to find this incident amusing, "It happened at some place called Ogden College, old traditional type schooling. Some kids crammed for the mid-term during the Fardweller discontinuity and then wrote the mid-term after the Beowulf reset. Absolutely far out!"
Nissa looks at the newspaper and says, “That’s pretty awesome!” And it is amusing, but… she does have a question, which she does not keep to herself: “So, this Mandela Effect. It kicks in right after we exit the, um, Fictiverse? And then it sorta, what, peters out?
“And what about that old show with the shieldmaiden twins?”
Nissa looks at the newspaper and says, “That’s pretty awesome!” And it is amusing, but… she does have a question, which she does not keep to herself: “So, this Mandela Effect. It kicks in right after we exit the, um, Fictiverse? And then it sorta, what, peters out?
“And what about that old show with the shieldmaiden twins?”
"I know it's hard to grasp, but altering a myth changes everything, albeit, only briefly, but, for the brief time in which everything has changed, it's always been changed. It's just a wave of discontinuity that quickly slips from your mind unless, of course, you're the one altering the myth," explains Dr. Moore as he looks around the automated cafeteria. "That's why we professional fictionauts don't take over stories and negotiate with Grendel's mom. We just chill as a minor characters and watch. Also, that's how you get ... well, never mind. It's not important. Oh, say, is that pecan pie?"
It's apparent Dr. Moore is hiding something, but it is around this time that Colonel Greer gets there and summons everyone to a conference room.
The screens around the room show different images of the same couple. One of them at the pet store and one from the greenhouse.
Colonel Greer doesn't bother with greetings. He smiles as you come in and begins the briefing, "Well, heroes, this duo have created chaos around the city. What are we looking at here? What do we know? Nature of their powers? Goals?"
"I'm guessing it's someone with nature control or modification powers of some kind. Did you guys see the video that popped up on the web?"
"I think one of the two has something like that, but the other can affect minds," Charles adds. "The miniature pets weren't just enlarged, they were forced to be aggresive against their wills."
"Sounds like your classic 'beast-of-the-week' situation here", Theo clapped his hands and rubbed them together, getting ready for some hard fighting. "I'll go change, and be right back." The Olympian started walking away, stopped, look confused, then remembered the way to his clean armor and weapons.