It's been five months.
The world could have been described as normal at one point, but with a flick of a switch everything has changed. It could have all been a coincidence and that the world was destined for this. Too many things happened though. Too many things at the same time.
First to show up were the slippers. Each country reported one or two of them appearing. People with very convincing stories claiming to be from various times in the future. They all had two things in common. No one came from a time before the event, and they all warned against it.
The media loved them and everyone clamored for their knowledge. Most of the slippers refused to say anything about the times they came from. Here and there a few stood on lower moral ground and would let loose facts. Tidbits of technology, prophecies, and fantastic tales.
Only a few days after the time travelers appeared the skies darkened. Nobody knows how many ships came or from how many planets but it was terrifying. Ambassadors from four major systems visited the United States, China, India, and Europe. They too warned against our plans.
As quick as they came the majority left. Only a handful of alien ships remained near Earth. They too hesitate to share any great wonders of knowledge lest we destroy ourselves. Only the warnings.
You would think we would have listened. That someone at CERN would have said, "Hey, guys, maybe this is a bad idea?" If any of them did their words fell on deaf ears. It happened anyways.
The very day of the event doomsday cults showed themselves world wide claiming the end was nigh. These differed from your standard sandwich board wearing lunatic. They rose from the ground on the shoulders of demons and outsiders. Torn from the fires of Hell, Hades, and far Outer Planes. These great beasts ravaged cities while militaries burned. Only for a few hours until the alien visitors, themselves soothsayers of the apocalypse, acted. The flesh of demons melted under the technology of other worlds.
Then the beams collided. It was as though the world stopped, blinked, turned around and then kept going. Everyone noticed it, some more then other. Random people in the street dropped to their knees screaming, others let out a sneeze.
The slippers shook their head and left for their own times, the remaining aliens had gone, and the cults went quiet.
What will emerge in this new world? What exactly has changed?
Large Hadron Collider
Sunday, March 14th - 13:39
The sign hung off the side of a three story brick building. It was a muscular arm with the words Heavy Lifting in black letters, like a tattoo on the bicep. Stenciled letters in one of the two windows read; Private Investigators - Your Case, Our Problem - No Moving!
Heavy Lifting has a simple base of operations in downtown Boise, Idaho. The drabbest, plainest capital city in the entire United States. Essentially the least likely place to look for a group of people with newfound powers.
Since the visitors and the activation of the LHC the government was becoming aware of "potentials." Several officials had dreams of an army made of super men. They didn't seem to care if "potentials" volunteered to join or if they had to be forced. So long as they wear the red, white, and blue.
The company, Heavy Lifting, was founded by a man named Arturo "Borrows" Freeman just three months ago. He made friends, then hired them as partners. Little is known about him or his powers. His office along with the company vault is on the third floor. The second floor of the building has six offices. Three of them are labeled Arc, Collider, and Durus. A fourth one has some bare furnishing and is currently being used by a junior associate on a trial basis.
First floor has the front desk, lounge, access to the garage. Collider is stuck with desk duty while Durus and Arc are out getting lunch, they should be back soon though. There aren't many walk-ins who usually know what the company does and there's a reason for the "No Moving!" part of the sign. As Lucias puts his feet up on the desk and starts to relax the computer chimes, "You've got mail!"
Lucias opened the E-mail, hoping that it was another advertisement to enlarge something. Ever since he was shown how to track an IP address he had been hoping that one would lead him right back to the spammer themselves…
As the E-mail opened his mind drifted off, who had taught him to IP track? Lucias pulled out his notebook and made another note "IP tracking - who taught me?". The list was getting pretty big and he seemed to find more and more things to add every day.
The dreadfully slow AOL page opens to a cryptic message;
From: trappedin@box.com
Subjet: help
entity.in.need.of.assistance
device.desiring.rescue
damsel.in.distress
data.acquasition.is.requested
muscles.for.hire
bring.the.big.guns
reply.quickly
The fan spins lazily overhead. An eerie quite comes over the room. It shatters with the jangling door bell as Durus and Arc come through carrying armloads of Taco Time.
Rufus comes meandering in the front door, dressed in plainclothes--sneakers, khaki pants, a white t-shirt and light blue overshirt. He is tall, with a wiry build, dark skin, a bald head and a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. In one hand he is carrying a transparent sack.
As he approaches the desk, he lays the sack next to Collider's elbow.
"We got Taco Time. I couldn't remember what you like, so I got you a couple of those...rolly crispy taco things." He starts digging his own meal out of the bag. "Any news? I'm liable to go nuts if we don't get a job soon."
Durus follows behind clicking in his Italian leather boots
"You know that food will kill you," he chides while sitting down to his salad, "any business come in?"
Lucias puzzled over the cryptic message, reaching into the bag and grabbing some food. As he bit down he realized it had not left the wrapper. He pulled the paper out of his mouth and turned the monitor around to show the others.
"We got this, someone is apparently trapped in a box. About as legible as any other E-mail I guess."
Durus considers for a moment
"Whats in it for us? Tell them to make an offer"
Rufus leans over, taking a bite out of his taco without much gusto, and leaning over the desk. He pushes his glasses up on his nose, tilting his head thoughtfully.
"Somebody has never heard of a spacebar," he muses. "Either that, or they're going without a conventional keyboard."
Lucias began to type up the reply.
"Dear Mr. Trappedin,
We thank you for your interest in our business, we can work out a time to consult on the issue or if more information regarding your situation can be provided we can give an estimate through E-mail. We offer competitive rates and world class service.
Where are you located and what is the exact nature of your situation?"
He looked at the E-mail and shook his head, mumbling "Still needs something..."
"Signed,
Lucias Havlocke Crowley,
Dictated but not read."
Lucias nodded, that was better.
Rufus stifles a laugh, shaking his head. "Dictated but not read?" He grins from ear to ear. "That sounds pretty fancy. Are you trying to make it seem like we're NOT operating out of a split-level office building at the ass-end of middle America?"
About two minutes after you send the first e-mail you receive a reply;
From: trappedin@box.com
Subject: re:help
premium.services.can.be.afforded
currently.trapped
presently.immobile
C.E.R.N.
Particle.Energy.Weapons.facility
49.346013,15.2955
arrange.acquirement.of.module;
MWX03SU17-MI
arrange.destruction.of.module;
MWX08SU18-MII
arrange.deletion.of.data.regarding;
Project.Well.Tailored.Suit
$%...!@#.....%@....?....
*(....@&&...@%...^!$^.....
Half of the page is made up of random symbols.
His interest piqued, Rufus noms down the last of his taco and slips around the desk to get a better view of the screen. He reads the message from over Lucias' shoulder, stroking his chin in thought.
"Durus...you're going to want to get a look at this too. I have a funky feeling about this one."
Lucias hit the print button, then turned his attention to his climbing suit. It stood in one corner of the room, held up by a stand and it's own armor plating. Lucias's form blurred for a brief instant then was gone, reappearing instantly in the suit.
"Well then, it appears we have something to do for the day."
Rufus lifts out the printed page, curiously scanning its contents. "A lot of it is gibberish. And is this an IP address?"
Durus looks at the new response from the mysterious client. His eyes lighting up at the set of numbers.
"They are coordinates, longitude and latitude"
Durus steps behind the computer and sets to Googling the numbers. The keyboard creaking ominously with each key press.
He raises an eyebrow at the result, "Either of you speak Czech?"
"Czech? Maybe let me see... oh, right. No." Lucias adjusted his suit and walked over to the others. "Well I can get us there... has anyone seen the intern?"
A strange pulling sensation comes over Lucias. Like his body is made of rubber bands and they're all stretching tight. There's a slight snap and everything is back to normal. At the same time a man appears in the middle of the room with the same flash as one of Collider's dispersions.
He's wearing grey slacks with a white button up shirt. His short blonde hair is well trimmed and he has a face which could be anywhere from 30 to 40 depending on the light. He gives a slight bow, "Gentlemen, I do believe I'll be heading up to Ichiban for lunch." Arturo takes his coat from the rack along with his fedora. "Apologize for the nudge there Lucias, but how they managed to put five flights of stairs for three floors I'll never know."
After he adjusts his hat Borrows looks over the forgotten salad and Rufus holding his half-eaten taco, "Is something afoot?"
"Longitude and latitude?" Rufus squints behind his glasses. "I must be getting old. I thought that comma was a period...nevermind." He laughs self-depricatingly. "As for speaking Czech, I think we're kind of..."
He turns and looks at Borrows, setting his taco aside. "We got a message from the Czech Republic. Seems like a distress call and a smash job rolled into one."
"A distress call you say? I wonder why they contacted us. As I don't have any other cases lined up you're all free to investigate it. Durus should have his commlink on him as usual if anything arises," a quick gesture towards Arc Breaker, another pull and snap as he "borrows" the datalink for a moment, "Hrmm, what a peculiar message."
"Good luck, sirs. Do try to avoid dipping into the medical stipend this time," he opens the door and tips his hat. You can hear a mutter as the door shuts, "...perhaps it was the craigslist ad?"
"Medical stipend?" Rufus huffs good-naturedly. "I AM the medical stipend. Jesus, throw a man through a plate glass window ONE TIME..."
Lucias went back to the computer and began searching for common terms in czheck. "Well then, when you two are ready we can get going."
"Let me go get my gear. I'll be right down."
Rufus runs up to his office, where he has stored emergency travel supplies; toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, cologne, aftershave, floss, razor), two changes of plainclothes and a small flip phone (the number to which is known only by Borrows, Durus, Collider and other high-ranking members of Heavy Lifting).
On his way down the stairs again, he Datalinks with his computer upstairs with a low hum and the faint whiff of ozone. He memorizes a few quick Czech necessities--hello, goodbye, yes, no, please, thank you and (for good measure) surrender--and closes the Datalink by the time he's in the lobby again. His gear is stuffed into a small green messenger bag slung over one shoulder.
"Gentlemen, at your earliest convenience."
"Damn!" He though as he peeled his eyes open looking at the clock on his computer screen in his sparsely decorated office. " Borrows offers you a junior membership and this is how you repay him by sleeping on the job I suppose?" He says to himself snidely as he quickly runs a hand through his stark white hair and uses the other hand to wipe the bit of drool from his chin. He stared at his screen for a long time as if it should tell him what he should be doing now, but to no avail. The silence however did afford him time to listen. He heard someone run up to the floor, where he had been alone previously and rummage a bit before returning from whence they came. Deciding to poke his head out he caught a glimpse of the man he had come to know as Arc disappearing around the corner with his travel bag slung about his shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise."Now where is he going?" Gavin wondered. Not content with guessing, Arc stood up and straightened his shirt before running down to follow Arc-Where he found the other three members assembled. Arc had a bewildered look before a sly smile appeared. " What'd I miss?"
"Here, read this." Lucias hands the printed E-mails to Gavin as he starts to type up another reply.
"Dear trappedin,
We have reviewed your application for assistance and the committee voted (along party lines) to assist you. Expect our assistance to occur with 1 business second, to 5 business days.
Signed,
Lucias.
This letter and it’s contents are considered private and proprietary, any disbursement to unaffiliated parties will be subject to termination of contract, for more legal information please see our legal page at www.bringvictory.com”
Sunday, March 14th - 14:18
While Gavin is reading through the transcripts Durus emerges from the door leading to the garage. He's changed from the suit into dark army fatigues with leather combat boots, and a black shirt. On his back is a military pack filled with basic technical gear. Strapped to the side is a powerful fold out sniper rifle. Clips of ammo are tucked into the straps.
Rufus is standing nearby with his bag, "What no suit this time?"
"The straps would have creased it," he says grimly.
Lucias walks to the middle of the room. "Alright guys, I've got a good picture of the town we're going to in my head so grab onto the suit and let's roll."
Sighing Durus grabs the big middle strap on Collider's back. Arc reaches out and takes hold of a shoulder plate. When Buckshot puts a hand tentatively to the suit Arc Breaker looks over at him and pushes up his glasses, "Oh yeah, it's your first time riding on the Collision Express. You might want to let the air out of your lungs. Sometimes Lucias can forget to bring the oxygen along wi-"
The world twists, it turns to a color of black only known in the dead of space. This is the Between. Cold. Nothing exists here. Even the self is gone. An eternity that would drive a person mad passes. If it was remembered on the other side.
"-th us." The last word is lost in a roaring wind. Four men are plummeting through the sky over the Atlantic.
"HOLY ****, DURUS I FORGOT HOW HEAVY YOU ARE!" Collider yells, "ONE MORE JU-" Dark. Cold. Eternity.
"-MP." Small puffs of dust rise from where your feet now exist. It's eleven at night in the Czech Republic town of Nova Bukova. Collider has taken you to the middle of a small field, 300 feet from the building they found on Google Maps. A cold breeze blows the scent of fields and farms from all around. The night sky is clear and filled with stars.
"Guh." Rufus lifts his hands, cupped, and blows warm air between them. "I HATE teleporting. I always find something vaguely unpleasant about it. Like I forgot something terrible during transit. Maybe I'm being paranoid."
Lucias take a deep breath. "All right, I suppose we should scope out the building, anyone bring the binoculars? No? Fair enough." Lucias looks for some place to teleport stealthily to get a better look at the complex.
perception check:
Gavin found himself strangely familiar with the color of black known only to the dead of space. It was as if he saw this place the first night his powers manifested. The cold gave him pause, as did the cold night air. He shivered for a moment and imitated Arc's actions, lifting his cupped hands to his mouth and blowing warm air between them. It didn't help much. "Thanks for the warning Arc." He says with a smile as he turns his attention to his surroundings and sees what he can see.
It's just like you saw from the satallite photo. The building you are looking at is square with an arched opening at the southwest corner. From the field you're in you can't tell what's in the courtyard. There does appear to be a fair amount of trees around it though especially so the southwest. From your point of view there are no doors or windows on the walls.
After about a minute you observe two soldiers patrol past the northwest corner, along the west wall, and into the archway. The clear night air carries a few words but you can't make them out.
After the guards patrol by Lucias teleports into the high branches of one of nearby trees. From this new vantage point you are able to see into the courtyard. Two more guards are standing side by side at a hi-tech looking steel door. The ground of the courtyard is made of packed dirt and is lit by light from windows on the inner walls. Another pair of guards patrols opposite of the other two bringing your count to six visible.
Nobody notices you're arrival.
Durus shrugs off the unpleasantness of teleporting with a quiet grunt. He watches Collider scout ahead while unslinging his rifle while going prone. Using the scope to try and scan into windows of the buildings ahead while forgetting to flip up the lens cap.
After a few moments Durus gets frustrated and exclaims "what is wrong with this thing? I can see nothing!"
He then throws the rifle over to Arc and Buckshot. "Maybe one of you can make more use of this than I?"
Lucias waits a minute, trying to make out any conversations or notice any other entrances.
Perception check: Take 10 (if possible) = 21 (10+11)
The guards patrolling only occasionally speak to each other followed by a laugh or affirmative grunt. It makes little sense to you though since they are speaking in Czech. From here you do get a better look at their weaponry. Each one of them has an assault rifle ready and several grenades clipped to their tactical vests.
The only entrances are the archway to the southwest and the door on the inner wall of the northeast corner. Security cameras are mounted at every corner of the building.
Collider teleports back to their insertion point where he finds Durus grumbling to himself, "Someone coulda said the cap was still on." While he's peers through the scope at the facility.
"Well gentlemen, it appears they are heavily armed. I could teleport us onto the roof but I think Durus would collapse it..." Lucias pauses for a second and mumbles to himself "It would be be a grand entrance, nah still probably a bad idea." Lucias shakes his head. "Either way, we are looking at Assault rifles, grenades, and cameras on every corner. The door is heavy duty as well. We could just drop in there as it were. I'm sure someone around here has a car I could borrow. We could also try our hand at stealth. What say you guys?"
Shrugging off the sniper rifle, Arc crouches down next to Durus, narrowing his eyes. "I refrain from the use of guns, my friend, but let me see if I can't do anything about those cameras. No promises, though..."
Arc tilts his head back, his eyes rolling back in his head. His mind reaches out to the cameras, attempting to trace them back to the computer they're hooked up to.
[ I'm not sure if this works or not, since I'm a little fuzzy on the rules of M&M, which can be kind of vague in places. But Arc is going to use an EXTENDED SEARCH with his DATALINK power to find out if any of the cameras are hooked up to computers. If this doesn't work, fair enough. If it DOES, he doesn't make any changes yet, just acknowledges that he has access to the group. EDIT: The effective range of his Datalink is 200,000 miles. :P ]
NOTICE ROLL:
In your minds eye the cameras light up like blue flares. You can see thin blue lines running through a maze of walls leading to a room beside the main entrance. An array of computers are attached to the monitors rotating through the views of the external cameras. Also connected to this bank of computers are the controls for the main door and an elevator.
"I have access to the computers. It looks like I can attempt access to the cameras, doors and elevators. It might be tough for someone like me, but I may be able to shut down elements of security without raising an alarm, but I've only got a civilian's expertise with computers. It'll be something of a crapshoot. What say you guys?"
"If you can take them out great, if not we can always just go in loud and angry."
Rufus takes a deep breath and narrows his rolled eyes in concentration, mentally interfacing with the computers inside.
He first attempts to deactivate the security cameras without setting off an alarm.
He then attempts to unlock the front door.
Lastly, he attempts to create an admin profile for himself that gives him access to the elevators.
Taking all of your concentration for a full minute you are able to black out the cameras and open the door. In your mind each of the blue lights grows dim and turns to a glowing ember. The access pad of the entrance glows green ready to admit the next user.
While the ground floor computers appear unprotected, it would appear as though there is a security system at work defending the inner portions of the facility including access to the elevator. You find that trying to make even basic operations within this system are immediately shot down. You can't tell if your actions have alerted anyone.
Attempting to use your Datalink to trace the programs behind the elevator is blocked out by a wall of bright red security protocols.
"Son of a b$#%!." His eyelids twitch, then his eyes return to normal. He rubs his temples. "I have good news and bad news, gentlemen. The good news is, those cameras are offline, and the front door is unlocked. The bad news s, the elevators are still locked down. They've got some serious security in there. And I have no idea if an alarm was sounded or not. My analysis as a medical professional is to go now and punch them in the face while their eyes are blind and their mouth is open."
"All right, everyone ready? Grab on."
Rufus takes a deep breath and places his hand on Collider's shoulder. "I hate this."
"It would be best if you grab onto me and not the other way around Collider," Durus says with a smile, "We don't want a repeat of our first day on the job"
He places a confident hand on Collider's shoulder." At your convenience Sir."
Lucias grabs a hold of Durus, "Lets go then.". The group disapears, reappearing just a few feet from the door.
The two guards seem shocked at the visitors suddenly appearing right in front of them. They react quickly though shouldering their guns and shouting, "Vetrelci! Bít na poplach."
Arc
Buckshot
Collider
Durus
Initiative:
attack roll: