Evil Game Master Society

Rosie Tries Out for the Team - Story Arc #8

Rosie Tries Out for the Team

Gillian smiled at Aidan’s words. It sure sounded like he was starting to get an attitude. She wasn’t positive of it’s origin, but she decided to take mental credit for it anyway.

“First things first,” Rosie replied. “That’s fair. So let’s begin, shall we?” Stepping across the threshold, she gave the interior of the room the once-over. She felt as she had stepped into the middle of one of the largest dance clubs in York. Multi-leveled, the building was packed with people. The dance floors were filled with gyrating bodies and the music was a decibel or two below deafening.

Rosie flinched against the initial barrage of sound. Then she edged along the wall toward where the bar was, the better to take in the scene and start trying to figure out the scenario’s objective. She did her best to pay attention to the figures and decor as she moved. _My outfit would go practically unnoticed in a place like this,_ she thought.

The club was decorated in a mixture of art deco and industrial, with no real rhyme or reason to it. A small group of people were in the mosh pit, thrashing around to music that only they seemed to hear. A band was beginning to set up on the stage, but there were no signs indicating who was going to be performing.

Guardian spoke out loud. “Would Eldritch and Flar please report to the training room.” Gaurdian then motioned the others into the room as she waited for replies from the other two missing members.

“Neither of them will be present for this exercise,” Aidan replied. “They are otherwise engaged.”

“Acknowledged” Guardian noded and headed into the room.

Boreas who had snarfed down a couple painkillers with a evian chaser turned in the direction of the cacophonous sounds emanating from the next room.

“Hey Aidan, why didn’t you tell us there was a Rave going on next door? Still a little out of it, Boreas went through the door, not realizing what she was getting into. In a half daze she made her way over to the bar.

“What can I getcha,” the bartender asked moments after Boreas found a spot to squeeze herself into.

Guardian strode into the club and headed directly for the stairs as soon as she spotted them. She climbed halfway up them and looked around. The club
was packed, with people dancing to what she would term “distracting noise”.

Guardian moved to look out at the people and tried not to pay attention to what they were doing. It looked to her like they were all dying in some painful way from the noise that was filtering through the club. Guardian shook her head and tried to look for anything out of place not realy liking this place at all.

Rosie was amused to see that this particular establishment didn’t seem to believe in carding. Ordering a rum & coke for herself, she looked around again. _I’d hate to think such bad taste was copied from a real place,_ she mused. _Even though it suits the noise they’re making._ “Drink” in hand, she continued moving toward the right-hand side of the club, taking the stairs in the lower-right hand corner up to the balcony.

Rosie noticed Jezebel’s apparent disappearing act, and decided that a place like this was probably very close to her natural environment. So she stayed on the second floor, still trying to get a handle on the situation, while also trying not to let the underlying technology–and its implications–distract her, yet.

The dancing continued on the balcony to the north and the tables were packed with people drinking and having a good time. Some people were also sitting on the bleachers.

Jezebel stepped into the room and directly into the club in the process. She immediately melded into the crowd, as if she had been there before, disappearing into the darkness and the pulsating crowd.

Jezebel moved into the crowd, avoiding the bar near the main entrance. Everyone knows that that’s where all the losers, boozers, and jailbait hang out. Her main goal, for the time being, was to disappear into the crowd so that the rest of her team would loose sight of her. At least for the first couple of minutes.

She resisted the urge to start moving with the music. It would have helped her to fully blend in, but wouldn’t help much for this situation.

Jez moved across the dance floor, the rhythm of her steps following along with the beat of the music. She moved with a focused attention otherwise. Once across the dance floor, she started up the stairs, weaving through the party goers clustered there. She headed straight for the DJ’s booth, intent on providing he or she with a smoke break… Whether they wanted one or not.

The DJ in the booth was a young man with spiked neon yellow and orange hair who looked to have every available square inch of his body tattooed or pierced.

“Hey Bob.” Jezebel shouted over the music while knocking on the glass to the DJ booth. “Steve said to take a smoke break. Put the turn tables on auto and take your break before it gets busy out there.”

The guy nodded, flipped a couple of switches then left the booth, locking the door behind him.

Boreas looked up at the bartender. “What can you get me? Hmmm, how about a cure for this headache?” As he turned for some aspirin she reached out and tugged on his sleeve. “Actually, strike that…I just remembered where I am. Don’t need any fake drugs, sides I just felt the Tylenol kick in. A pair of ear plugs would be nice though…ya know to drown out this incessant noise.”

She rapped on the counter and looked into the mirror behind the bar. “You can do that right Aidan?” It didn’t occur to her to ask for the music to be turned down a tad.

The bartender chuckled. “If you can’t stand the noise, get outta the kitchen,” he replied. “And the name’s not Aidan, it’s Joe.” His attention was caught by someone further down the bar wanting to order a drink. He opened his mouth to say something when there was a loud explosion and debris came raining down on the dance floor in the middle of the room.

From her vantage point on the second floor, Rosie could see a group of men wearing some kind of body armor and wielding bfg’s come swarming in through the hole in the wall. She recognized the symbol that they were wearing from the recent newspaper article about the kidnapping attempt of the Brechtelstein ambassador - it appeared to be the Wolf Pack.

Guardian looked around for the source of the noise, then ran to the top of the stairs. She caught sight of the invading armored people and frowned, remembering her past instance with them and her ruined jacket. She really liked that jacket too. Guardian turned her attention from the dance floor and looked at the upper levels and the level she was on for the sniper and back up for those on the dance floor, remembering their tactics from the convention.

Even though she knew that this was only an illusion, even though she knew that this was calculated to have this effect on her, nonetheless, Rosie disliked the intruders on the spot. Having such power, and using it only for harm… She set her “drink” down and flexed her fingers, glad that she had already taken the high ground. Feeling the charge build, she tried to estimate how many there were, and to get some idea of what villains such as these (she could hardly bring herself to call such creatures “men”) could want in a place like this, as well as to see what her more experienced comrades would do. Most important to her was bringing down the pack of hyenas without the habitues getting hurt.

Boreas flinched reflexively at the loud explosion. Aidan was definitely not playing fair here. She then spun around to see what had happened, and tried to remind herself that most of the people she saw were holographic images and not in any real peril.

However, she chastised herself, perhaps it would be just as good to treat these people as real. A test of sorts to see if she really is cut out for all this heroic stuff. Besides Jez, Rosie and Guardian were real enough. She reached down amidst the chaos and slipped on her blades, ready for trouble.

Rosie didn’t see any of her (prospective) teammates. Thus she decided to take the initiative. With a thought, her body was covered in that distinctive blue-white lightning, creating interference patterns even as it raised her up above the railing. “Oh boys,” she called, twirling as she came into view, “if you’re looking for a party… I’ll show you a CRACKLIN’ good time!” As she spoke, she pointed and let fly with a lightning bolt at the nearest of the ones she could see.

The bolt crackled as it hit one of the armored men. The blast flung him backwards off his feet and he hit the wall, then slumped to the floor.

Boreas decided to stay low and move close to the source of the trouble, ready for any sign of trouble. She didn’t want to draw their fire just yet as there were too many innocents about. However if any of them threatened to fire she would have to do something heroic she guessed. Although she couldn’t think of what at the moment.

It then dawned on her that the original attackers had been targeting someone for assassination. Perhaps Aidan was having these holo-thugs react after a similar fashion. She tried to figure out who they were looking for, if anyone. That would be the person they would have to protect.

There was another explosion and three more men in armor came bursting through the wall near the bar on the main floor. They quickly spread out and moved behind cover.

Upstairs, the armored men also spread out and moved for cover.

Jez looked around quickly then tried to force the door of the control room. She swore, realizing that she’d probably need to break it down to get inside.

Guardian spotted the armored men moving for cover. She tried to sneak up on one of them in hopes of disarming them and disabling him, but knocked over a small table with a crash!

Rosie nodded with satisfaction. First blood, and the initiative, to her side. More importantly, her actions and overall flamboyance should keep the opposition’s attention–and firepower–on her, rather than all the bystanders. It was a good start. Pressing her advantage, she called out, “Oh, don’t run and hide, boys! That was just a warning! Surrender now, while you still can!” At the same time, she was scanning the communications bands to see if the “club’s” sound system was wireless. She frowned slightly when she didn’t find anything.

.o0 It was worth a try, 0o. Rosie thought. .o0 But I guess we’ll just have to do this the hard way after all. 0o. Aloud she said, “All right, if you want to play hide-and-seek, I’m more than happy to be ‘It.’”

Boreas shook off the lingering effects of the drugs in here system as she felt the adrenal rush kick in. One thing was for sure, she would definitely be missing those early morning classes.

With a fluid grace she skated up to the nearest opponent. She came head on, but at the last moment pirouetted out of the way. Positioned off to one side she gingerly reached out with a hand to touch the assailant. “Interested in a little game of freeze tag?” she said with a mocking smile.

The temperature dropped dramatically and where she touched the man a thin sheen of frost appeared. It was hard for Boreas to tell how strongly he had been affected by her touch because of the darkened faceplate of his helmet.

Two of the armored men on the second floor took aim at Rosie and the beams from their bfg rifles hit her squarely in the chest. Rosie felt like she got hit by a mac truck when the energy bolts from the rifles hit her and she was flung back through the air, hitting the far eastern wall of the club.

The member of the Wolf Pack that Guardian had tried to sneak up on turned and fired at her, hitting her on the right shoulder. The force of blast sent her flying backwards through the balcony railing and she fell down onto the dance floor, narrowly missing landing on top of a group of dancers trying to flee the dance floor.

The crowd of club goers erupt into mass hysteria and the air is filled with screams of terror as the innocent bystanders try to flee the club.

Dazed but still aware of her surroundings, Rosie thought, detachedly, .o0 About time… 0o.

The three armored men on the ground floor aim at Boreas and fire their weapons. Two of the shots narrowly miss her, but hit two women in the panicked crowd behind her. The screams of the crowd increased tenfold when the blasts ripped through the women, blowing off the head of one woman and almost cutting the other in half.

The third shot hit Boreas squarely on her left hip, sending her flying off her feet and into the crowd. She narrowly missed landing on top of Guardian.

Shaking the stars out of her eyes, Rosie got to her feet and turned her force field back on. She’d drawn their fire, all right, and people were dead anyway. Pointing at the nearest target, she let fly with another bolt, this one more tightly focused than the previous one. “Bastard,” she muttered as it lanced across the room, though even she could not have said whether she was addressing the “villains,” the mysterious Aidan, or herself.

The bolt hit the Wold Pack member she had struck before, sending him flying backwards with a loud crack and distinct smell of ozone. He went flying back through the hole in the wall and disappeared into the night.

“Damn,” she muttered. “Must be rockier than I thought… Didn’t mean to hit the same guy twice…”

Guardian quickly stood up and took a quick evaluation and looked at Boreas. “Find the others of the team. Take out the snipers. I will go on the dance floor and draw their fire. I can handle the shots. They need to be taken out quick before any more deaths occur. Go quickly!”

Guardian then moved into the crowed glaring at the patrents to get them out of her way as she stepped out on to the cleared dance floor and looked around.

“I see your aim still hasn’t improved since the conferance. You really should look for another line of work because you couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn!” Gaurdian tried to put sarcasim in her voice like she had heard on tv, trying to make it sound as taunting as possible. “Those pea shooters couldn’t hurt a fly!”

Jezebel walked casually over to the railing looking down on the ground floor. She surveyed the goings-on down below with a fairly confused expression on her face.

“*sweeeeeeeeeek!*” Jez let out a loud, shrill whistle, trying to get someone’s attention. The sound was (probably) lost in the general confusion and din of the club.

Not getting a response, she started to head down the stairs. She proceeded to walking into the middle of the firefight like she was walking into her own kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

“Hey!” Jez said outloud, to just about anyone who would listen. “What the hell is going on? Something’s not right. This isn’t the mission I programmed.”

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she turned her gaze towards the gunmen. “Who the hell are these blockheads? They look like rejects from the last Stallone movie… No one is going to take these guys seriously.”

She paused for a second, getting a bit annoyed that no one was paying attention to her conversation. “Hey! Is anyone listening to me?!”

.o0 Maybe not, 0o. Rosie grumbled to herself. .o0 But they sure rang _my_ chimes. 0o. Still, she tried to keep an eye out for anyone taking aim at Guardian’s back.

Boreas shook off the effects of the blaster fire as she laid on the dance floor. She tried to screen out the screams and shouts from the startled patrons and concentrate on what Guardian had said to her. Evidently the Alluring Amazon was much more confident in Boreas’s abilities than she was.

She quickly rolled to her feet when she noticed the casualties. She hesitated for the briefest of moments in shock, her mouth agape at the headless woman that was next to her. It was so realistic, she had to convinced herself again that these are only computer generated images. Still she feared that she would have trouble sleeping tonight.

Standing there, she looked over at the assailant that she had put the freeze on before. She concentrated on his position and bringing her arms up for effect drew his body heat into her, significantly dropping his body temperature in the process. “Unless you enjoy being turned into a popsicle I would advise dropping the gun.”

One of the Wolf Pack members, using a table for cover, took aim at Guardian’s back and shot, hitting her full in the back. She went flying forward, ploughing through several tables before she landed face down about twenty feet away.

The remaining armored men on the second floor aimed and fired at Rosie, both of them missing her by a hair. The blasts went past her and hit the wall, creating holes and a shower of concrete, paint and plaster.

The man in front of Boreas stands there motionless, watching her.

The last two Wolf Pack members on the ground floor take a bead on Jez and fire. Both blasts miss - one wildly, while the other is close enough that it singes Jez’s hair.

Jez, still oblivious to the imminent danger, “What the hell was that?”

“Hey, that was my hair!” Jez said, looking up to where she imagined Aidan would be. “My hair is going to go back to the way it was when the session is over, right?”

Sensing a momentary lull in the action, Rosie took the chance to get some of her wind back. She also took the opportunity to register what she’d just seen and heard, and figure out what to do next. The fact that Gillian only got shot at in response to her declaration disturbed her much more than the statement itself. Who was the real opposition here? And what to do about it?

Rosie decided to try something different, now that she felt somewhat less enervated. She was very concerned about the fact that the room had somehow managed to replicate her energy effects so precisely, on the spur of the moment, when she had never been here before. But attrition was working against them, and Gillian didn’t appear to be getting through either.

Raising her force field again, she flew toward the doors, like an arc of electricity. Facing the entrance at an angle, hovering just off the floor, she called out, “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, Mr. Aidan, but I think we’ve all had enough. Open these doors now, before we have to find out how much excess juice they can soak up.” And the crackling glow around her hands increased, as if by way of emphasis.

“Hey I got my guy covered.” Shouts an excited Boreas. She looks a lot more confident than earlier. “How are the rest of you doing?” She asks.

She then glares back at the armored trooper waging a finger. “Don’t even think about it wormboy. I have had a long hard day with and could really workout some of this aggression, but I got a soft spot for smart guys. So don’t be stupid.”

Everyone but the Sentinels suddenly stopped moving in mid action and the room went silent.

“You are taking exception to the simulation, Cracklin’ Rosie?” Aidan’s voice flowed through the room. “The simulation in progress is an accurate representation of what would occur should the Wolf Pack be hunting the Sentinels, if you pardon the pun,” he said in a neutral voice. “Forgive me for taking liberites with the program you wanted, Jezebel, but I believed it would be more effective as a training tool for the entire team with the modifications that I made. I have determined that there is a 63.287% chance that the Sentinels will be encountering the Wolf Pack again due to Guardian’s interference in their attempt to kidnap the Brechtelstein ambassador.”

A concerned look came over Boreas’s face as Aidan’s statistical comments. “What you mean like they will be hunting us or something? Oh, this is just what I need! Perhaps we should lay low for a while until the cops or Interpol catch these luzers.”

“It is unlikely they will make an active effort to track down the Sentinels,” Aidan replied. “But I am confident that if they learn of the team’s presence at a particular location and they are in a position to interfere or intervene, that they will do so. It is also likely that any efforts the Wolf Pack might make against the team will be specifically geared at Guardian. They have exhibited this behaviour in the past and will in all likelihood leave the rest of the team alone in their pursuit of her -unless, of course, we ‘interfere’.”

Rosie lowered her hands to her sides, turned and floated over to where Guardian lay. Leaning over, she asked, with an ironic tone in her voice, “Is she all right? I don’t suppose you calculated to five significant figures just how big a jones they’d have for her for spoiling their fun, too, did you?”

Guardian stood and dusted herself off. “My tactic worked, though I believe I underestimated the effectiveness of their weapons.”

Rosie touched down on the floor, and looked back at the entrance. “All right. I don’t mind that you pounded on me. Everything about this scene told me we were the likely targets,” she continued, “but I couldn’t warn anyone. So I drew their fire, since we couldn’t have stopped them all in time for the bystanders to get away… But they killed people anyway, and things seemed to be getting out of hand…”

She sighed. “I think I see now the point you’re trying to make. If they really are this tough, then we’ve got a lot to do, and not much time to do it. And I made up my mind when I got this power to do everything I could so people won’t die like that. If you’ll have me, I’m yours for the long haul. Now will you kindly come out where I can see you? I think it’s time we met face to face.”

Boreas chuckled to herself at Rosie’s last comment. “Oh this’ll be good.”

Gillian glanced upwards in the “direction” of Aidan’s voice and then shrugged. She glanced around, saw Boreas was closest, and made a beeline right for her.

“Hey, is my hair okay? It’s not singed or anything is it?”

Boreas suddenly got a very concerned look on her face. “Uh, Jez I am afraid the news isn’t good.” She reached out to examine some tangled strands. “Look at all these splits ends! Do you even know what Conditioner is used for?” She said with a slight smile.

In spite of the situation, Rosie snorted. Jez had walked right into that one.

An immediate look of concern hit Jez’s face, and I do mean hit. It faded after a second though, “You’re just pulling my leg. The training room can’t give me split ends.”

Since, apparently her hair was back to normal, Gillian totally forgot about it for now. She was already planning what sort of practical joke she was going to have to pull on Boreas. Maybe something involving blue food dye and chicken feathers. “Jezebel, Boreas and Guardian, what do you have to say? Is Cracklin’ Rosie to become part of the team,” Aidan’s disembodied voice asked. “If they agree, then we’ll meet face to face.” Aidan chuckled, and Rosie got the impression that he found the phase amusing for some reason.

_Him and everyone else,_ Rosie thought.

“Heck Aidan we did away with the grueling initiation process to this sorority long ago. She seems more than competent and willing, plus she has a good had on her shoulders. She gets my vote, the more the merrier I say.”

She then sidles over to Rosie, “Just remember not to snicker too much when you peak behind the curtain at the great and terrible Oz.”

“Thanks,” Rosie replied, “for the vote of confidence.” To herself she said, .o0 ‘Oz’? Is Aidan not going to be what he seems, whatever that is? Well, here comes the moment of truth… 0o.

Guardian looked at Boreas with a puzzled look on her face, which she dismissed with a quick shake of her head. “I agree with Boreas,” she said. “The team is in need of experienced members.”

Rosie glanced up at Guardian. “That means a lot, coming from you.”

“Well, will we have to take money out of the pizza pot if we let her in?” Jez asked. “I mean, is it going to be a lot of trouble to get her one of those fancy, high back chairs with her symbol on the back of it? If she’s not going to cut down on pizza night, then I vote yes.”

With that, Jez turned her head to face Rosie, smiled and gave a quick eye wink. As if that last statement was all a joke. Not that she’d want her teammates to know that.

Rosie’s mouth curled up slightly at the corners. “Thanks,” she said, which was all the response she could muster at the moment. The suspense was killing her.

“Very well,” Aidan replied. The dance club scene faded away from view to reveal a very large room with what appeared to be heavily reinforced walls. The walls were covered with a large metallic grid and obvious sensors, projectors and some things that neither Rosie nor the others could identify sprang from the walls, ceiling and floor.

The small spider-like robot that had been riding on Guardian’s shoulder before the simulation skittered along the floor and came to a stop in front of Rosie. It paused, looking up at her, giving Rosie the eerie feeling that there was a lot more to little mechanical beast than could be seen.

The little spider then reared up on its hind legs and did a complicated bow. “I am Aidan,” came Aidan’s voice from the robot. “And I am Aidan.” The voice echoed from speakers hidden in the walls. Then, about five feet in front of Rosie an extremely lifelike holographic projection of the head (though it was about two feet tall) of a man that looked a lot like Sean Connery (from the movie Medicine Man) appeared. “And I am Aidan.”

Boreas blurted out suddenly. “And I’m Spartacus!”

“Sorry couldn’t resist that one.” She added sheepishly to Jez

Jez looked at Boreas with an unaffected, but slightly confused expression. She would have to remember to ask her who Spartacus was.

“Aidan is an acronym for Artificially Intelligent Decentralized Analytical Network. To put it very simply,” the head explained. “I am a sentient computer program.”

“We affectionately refer to him as Big Brother.” Boreas quipped.

Rosie stared blankly for fully ten seconds. She could almost hear the click of the pieces falling at last into place. “‘Cover up the blank spots/Hit me on the head…’” she at last quoted, in hushed tones. Laughter overtook her before she could say anything else.

Jez, still unconcerned about the goings on, just shook her head slowly and mumbled under her breath. “The valium supply is going to be dwindling around this place…”

“I’m… sorry,” she gasped out, getting herself under control again. “I’m… NOT… laughing at you… Even if the first thing that came to mind was the last line of a song by… Heh… Talking Heads…” Looking directly at Aidan’s hologram as she said this last made her laugh once more, holding her sides, before the reality of what she was seeing sobered her up again.

Now that the tension had passed, Rosie was not only relieved, she was amazed. She looked at the spider-bot, then at the hologram again, awestruck. The engineer in her was threatening to take over. Questions were coming fast and furious, and she had no idea where to begin with them. So she turned to something she did understand.

Looking at the others, Rosie smiled. “I’m forgetting my manners. I haven’t properly shown you how grateful I am to all of you for taking me on. Thank you.” She rose up until she was parallel to the ground at shoulder height, and, without further preamble, kissed each of her new teammates in turn, stopping short only when she got back to Aidan. “I’m sorry, I’ve never kissed a computer before,” she said to his image. “Would you feel it if I did?”

*”Hell-O…* For the first time, in quite a bit of time, Gillian was suitably speechless. At first she didn’t realize what Rosie was about to do. When she actually did it, Gillian just remained still. Not to avoid offending Rosie, but because she couldn’t think of anything else to do.

Once Rosie backed away, Gillian’s eyes slid to the side to look at Aidan and then slide to the other side to look at Boreas.

Boreas was looking at Gillian quizically trying to figure out what was going on. Do they know each other she thought? Then her eyes went wide and looked like a deer caught in the headlights as Rosie approached her.

“I’m afraid not,” Aidan replied seriously.

“That’s too bad,” Rosie replied with equal seriousness. Then she blew him a kiss. “But the thought counts, too, and you are a handsome devil–for a Big Brother.” She turned and smiled at Boreas as she said this last. Then, lowering herself back to the deck, she looked at them all again. “So what do we do now?” she asked, still smiling.

Boreas stood there in amazed shock. Evidently Rosie was…French? She didn’t act like it though. Wide-eyed she squeaked out, “Y-y-you’re welcome.” She then spun her head and looked at Jez to see what her reaction was fearing that she was the only one looking foolish at this point.

Rosie didn’t miss Boreas’s apparent panic. She walked over, hands outstretched. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just so glad to have made the cut, to at last be among fellow supers, and words felt inadequate to show how I felt.”

“Y..Y..Yeah sure, no harm done. A simple handshake or perhaps a hug will suffice next time.” Boreas said trying to cover up her embarrassment..

She reached up and doffed her mask, exposing eyes with strangely gray pupils. “And I guess the answer to what we do now is, I start by telling you who I am, now that we’re all on the same side.” She ran her fingers through her hair before continuing. “OK. My real name is Cynthia Scott. I’m an electronics engineer from the States, and up to a year or so ago, that was about all. So far as I know, at this point about the only thing I can do with this power that I haven’t mentioned yet is scan the communications-band portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.” Turning to look Jezebel in the eye, she added, “By the way, you were right about there being people close to me, Gillian.”

_Rosie…or Cynthia certainly was an interesting person,_ thought Melissa. She did appreciate the openess and trust she portrayed and in spite of the liplock, she thought she was really really going to like the girl.

“Do now?” Boreas stretched and let out a slight yawn. “I dunno, but it’s kinda pretty late isn’t it? I wouldn’t mind catching some serious sleep before tomorrow. Especially if I have to start worrying about this wolf bozos out to get us.”

Gillian, having regained some of her composure, wasn’t looking at Boreas any more. She turned her attention back to Rosie and had regained the use of her voice.

“Okay, first of all, let’s set some ground rules.” she stated, doing her best to sound serious, without sounding like she’s offended. “Only one rule comes to mind, at the moment. No groping your teammates. I can’t speak for anyone else, but there’s no lip pressing with me unless you’ve bought me a couple of drinks first.”

Boreas could be seen nodding perhaps a little too vigorously at Jez’s comments.

“I don’t usually kiss on the first date either,” Rosie replied. “And I wasn’t making passes.” Her smile turned mischievous for a moment. “If I were, there’d be no room for doubt. And I give you my word, I won’t do it again, now that I know how you feel about it. But like I said, this has turned out to be one of the biggest days of my life. And while I see Boreas’s point about getting a good night’s rest, I don’t think I _can_ sleep right now.” She turned to Aidan’s hologram. “Could I at least have the fifty-cent tour? Everything I’ve seen already is so amazing, I can’t wait to see the rest. It’s as if I’m in Valhalla Nova, Zero-Zero. I almost expect to see Luther Arkwright or Rose Wilde just around the corner.”

The image of Aidan nodded, and Rosie was given a brief tour of the base, including the laboratories.

Continued in “Darkness on a New Day”

© Lisa Hartjes, 1999-2000

Sins of the Past - Subplot #2

Sins of the Past

Nathan yawned slightly as he unlocked the door to the shop and picked up the early edition of the York Gazette from the front step. He had been up late both Sunday and yesterday trying to learn more about Guardian’s background, hoping to find out what caused her to hate him so much.

At least Aidan was able to tell me about what happened to her family, he thought. If my parents were murdered by mages, I’d probably hate them too. Nathan went back behind the counter, opened up the newspaper and began to scan through it. Hmm…. There’s a rare book auction next month. I ought to ask for a catalogue. You never know what you might find.

He was flipping over the obituaries when a name caught his eye: Gabriella Duncan.

The breath caught in Nathan’s throat, as he grasped for the stool. No!! Not her! Nathan’s mental shields dropped, the sounds of the city around him assaulting him. Rebuilding his shields, Nathan calmed his breathing before picking up the paper once more, forcing his eyes to the type he doesn’t want to read.

Nathan slowly read the obit on Gabriella twice, committing every word to memory.

“Gabriella Duncan. Tragically taken from us in a car accident, you will be sorely missed by friends and family. Services to be held at the Parkins Funeral Estates, New York City, May 13. Viewing from 9 -11 am, ceremony at 12 pm. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the New Horizons Youth Centre.”

Must make a note to check into this New Horizons centre., and also give Darren a holler. He’ll have a better idea on whether I should even consider going….

Nathan barely heard the tinkling of the chimes when the door to the shop opened. Out of the corner of his eye, a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in casual clothes entered, and then it hit him. She was a mage, perhaps a bit more powerful than him, but followed no specific school of magic.

Nathan folded the paper up, and set it aside in it’s usual place under the register.

“Morning… May I help you??”

She turned her head to look at him with a brilliant smile on her face. “Yes, you can. I’m looking for a book Tibetan ritual chanting and some incense.” Her eyes were warm and welcoming, and for a split second he thought he knew her, but the feeling disappeared.

That article has really unsettled me… I had better watch myself. Hesitating for just a moment, Nathan smiled at his customer. “Sorry… I don’t think I’ve quite woken up yet. Was that a book called on Tibetan ritual chanting, or was that the subject?”

The woman’s smile widened. “No problem. I’m not much of a morning person either. It’s the subject of the book actually.” She began to scan the racks. “Your shop was recommended to me by an acquaintance.”

“It would be over here.” Nathan leads her over to his ‘Odd’s ‘n Ends’ section. “I must confess that I’m curious as to who might have recommended my shop, that is if you don’t mind.”

The woman laughed softly. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember his name. I met him at a book auction and he said if I was ever in York and needed something, to give the Sacred Circle a try.” She began to look over the books and quickly found the one she was looking for. The woman took the book off the shelf and leafed through it.

“This will do. How much?” She looked over the book trying to find the price.

“The price should be on the back cover. Book auction?? I attend a few of those myself. I find you can get some interesting finds there.”

“Very true,” she replied as she headed for the counter. “I don’t often buy anything at the auctions, but I sure do like to look.” The woman took out her wallet and waited for Nathan to tell her the total.

“If you would hold on for a second, I’ll look up the price.” Nathan pulled out a register, and looked up the title. “That will be 50 dollars.”

The woman took the money out of her wallet and put it on the counter. “Thanks. I don’t need a bag,” she said as she put her wallet away. “Be seeing you.” She turned and headed out the door of the shop.

Nathan took the money off of the counter, put it in the cash till, then noted in his ledger the particulars. After a while he pulled out the newspaper again and returned to the obituaries. I still can’t believe it, he thought. She’s gone……

To be continued….

GM: This takes place shortly after the Sentinels first became a team. Unfortunately, it is incomplete - the player of Nathan disappeared before it was finished.

Melissa stood at the foot of the stone path leading up to the door of The Sacred Circle. Two giggling teenagers walked past her carrying a book they took pains to hide the cover of. It was about ten to six, and the store would be closing shortly, giving Mel a chance to talk to Nathan uninterrupted - providing he didn’t have any plans.

She took a deep breath and walked up the path, climbed the stairs and went through the door. The scent of incense filled her nose. It was surprisingly pleasant considering some of the stuff she’d smelled people using. As the door closed with a soft jingle of bells, she looked around as Nathan stepped out from behind a set of shelves.

Nathan had just finished putting a book back on the shelf when he heard the bells on the door tinkle. Hoping it wasn’t those silly girls again, he stepped out from behind the bookcase. He saw a young woman just inside the door, looking around the shop.

“Yes, can I help you??”

Waving Nathan off, Melissa looked around the shop to see if they were alone. Satisfied that they were the only one’s present she walked over to the counter and flipped through one of the books. She wasn’t entirely sure if Aidan was monitoring the shop or not. Gathering her resolve, she turned towards Nathan and with a serious expression proclaimed, “We need to talk.” The shop was too risky so she quickly followed up in a more casual tone with, “I noticed that you are closing up, would you mind stepping out for a drink?”

Nathan raises an eyebrow, and is quiet for a moment. Thank your lucky stars that I am bonded, for the temptation to scan your thoughts is tempting.

Nathan sighs, looks at his watch, then back to the lady. “Give me five minutes to lock up. What was your name again?”

“M…Me…Me…lanie.” Melissa choked out looking totally embarrassed for her obvious attempt at deceit. Hopefully Nathan will get a clue and not ask too many more questions. This was looking fishy enough as it was.

Nathan just nods politely

“Look…I’ll let ya lock up then and meet you out in front.” Melissa managed to say in a more calm and collected voice. She checked around the store once more for any sign of Aidan’s little helpers before heading for the door.

As she leaves his store, Nathan sighs and rubs his temples. Whatever it is, something has her spooked.. if I didn’t know better I would say she was almost paranoid about being followed…

Doing a quick scan about the store, Nathan goes thru his routine, and finds himself rushing. What has this girl done to get my curiousity so piqued?? Besides seeming to know me, and I can’t even recall meeting her… and the only time I wouldn’t, I don’t even think she was out of diapers yet…

Despite himself, Nathan forces himself to stick to his routine, and almost precisely 5 minutes later, he exits his shop, and locks the door.

“If you don’t mind, I know a place where we can talk without being disturbed… unfortunately they aren’t licensed, however I’m told they have one of the best selections of coffee in the city.”

Melissa looked suspiciously over Nathan’s shoulder at his shop scanning the windows for any signs of movement. “Coffee? Oh sh…sh…sure.”

She flung her coat over her shoulder, seemingly oblivious to the noticeable chill in the night air. “Lead the way Nate.” She smiled at him. Now that they were out of the shop she appeared to be more at ease, almost cheerful.

“It’s a few blocks away, and I prefer to walk there… I hope you don’t mind.” Nathan indicates the direction with a sweeping arm motion, and proceeds to walk away from his shop.

“Melanie, you will have to excuse me, however you have my interest piqued, and I’m quite curious about what you have to talk about. Can you give me an idea of what you’re afraid of, or even whom it is we know in common? If you do wish to wait until we’ve arrived, I’ll understand, however, I do find walking in silence with someone, somewhat … discomforting.”

Melissa looked a bit sheepish, a slight blush coming to her cheeks despite the cold.

“I figured since I know who you are, well you have a right to know who I am.” As she continued speaking Melissa stretched forth her arms and pirouetted. As she did so the moisture in the air around her crystallized into small flakes which sparkled brilliantly in the moonlight. “I apologize for the childish deception, but my name really isn’t Melanie, it’s Melissa, but you know me as Boreas. As for why I have come to speak to you…well it’s about Aidan and Guardian.”

Nathan pauses for a moment, as he digests this latest bit of information. “Oh.” He resumes walking at a slightly slower pace, as things come together. “Well that explains a few things, like why you were so familiar with me.” Nathan smiles at Melissa. “Thank you for your trust. But why have you come to me about Guardian and Aidan?”

“Well it’s just that I have a feeling that Aidan is hiding something from us. We were brought together under the pretenses of forming a group to fight against evil and all, but I having a feeling that Aidan wants us for other reasons as well.” Melissa’s voice grows quiet, her breath visible in the night air. “Perhaps he needs us to protect him in some way?”

Nathan thinks about this for a moment “Hmm… I think he has as much admitted that though, but I think that you are closer to the mark about Guardian and Aidan…. There is just something there that doesn’t add up… specifically Guardian’s past… but that is just a feeling that I’ve got.”

To be continued, some day, maybe…

(C) Lisa Hartjes, 2001.

Guardian’s text is in bold, Aidan’s is normal.

What is Extortion?

Extortion is the act in which someone has information about someone else and uses it to force the person to do something which they would not normally do. The subject of the extortion will usually do what the person says because they are afraid of the consequences if the information is released to the public or to superiors. The information used is often about an action, series of actions and/or situations in which the subject has done something illegal and/or morally and ethically wrong. The acts which are forced upon the person being extorted are often illegal, harmful to others and always serve the desires of the person committing the extortion.

Blackmail is also a form of extortion in which the subject is usually asked for large amounts of money.

Why do anything that would put yourself in such a position? Why not ignore the threats and then kill the enemy?

Humans often think that they can commit the illegal and immoral acts and not get caught. Others have no choice because it is a part of their past that they cannot change. For example, a superhero performs his or her actions under the name of Stormrider so that he or she can hide their true identities and protect the ones they love from their enemies. If someone were to find out who they really were, they could try to force Stormrider to do things they want him to.

Why not kill the enemies?

In this society, it is morally and legally wrong to kill someone, even if they have the potential to do you harm.

This makes sense I guess. To protect ones family one must do what they must.

What is money?

Money is a medium of exchange and value. In this society, people trade money for goods and services they want or need.

You mean to tell me that on this world that one has give something in return for that what they need to survive? What if one has no money?

There are groups which provide assistance to those with no money, providing them with food and shelter. The humans have a phrase that goes “money makes the world go around”. What that means is that without money, you’re unable to do anything to survive at a decent level.

What is a minority?

Minority is a term applied to human beings who are distinctive from the dominant form or “norm”. In this country, the Caucasian race, which is mainly of European descent, are dominant. Minorities are those races, such as those of Negroid, Mongoloid, who in the past have not had much power and have been forced to exist within the lower classes of society simply because of the colour of their skin. These minorities, also called racial minorities, are often the victims of prejudice and discrimination.

Prejudice is the act of having preconceived ideas, usually negative, about a person, but it can also be applied to places, things and ideas. These ideas are often based on unsubstantiated or inaccurate information. Discrimination is the application of prejudice in acts in areas such as decision making.

Would it not make more sense that if one type of being if it is in lesser value would have more of an importance placed upon it because of its rarity?

Often minorities are not truly rare, as many more of their kind live elsewhere in the world. For example, in China a Caucasian would be a minority, while in Canada someone from China would be a minority. The term minority is applied in relation to a specific geographic area.

How can the effect of one colour of skin effect the abilty of the person? Does the colour of the skin effect the physical abillity of the human?

The colour of one’s skin has absolutely no affect on the abilities, either mental or physical, of a person. The belief that is does is erroneous. In this world’s past, if Culture A came in contact with Culture B, and the Culture B was not considered as advanced as Culture A, they were considered inferior regardless of what that culture had achieved. Culture A would also attempt to exploit Culture B.

The act of discrimination is often an attempt to make (or reinforce) a person’s feelings of superiority over another. For example, calling a Negroid a “nigger” is highly insulting and derogatory, and the person who says it did so to support their belief that they are superior.

With attitiudes such as that I am amazed that this world has survived for so long.

That is my opinion as well. For the most part, this society realizes that such attitudes of prejudice and discrimination are unacceptable, and try to eliminate it. There are still those, however, who still cling to such ideas.

What is a Harbringer?

A Harbinger is a being which has powers beyond normal beings. For example, a person with the ability to fly without the assistance of technology is a Harbinger. Many different abilities can appear in Harbingers, ranging from increased natural abilities such as extremely high levels of strength or intelligence, to shooting beams of energy from a person’s body. The mechanism of these powers vary widely from individual to individual.

Flight, for example, can be achieved by the manipulation of the Earth’s magnetic field, through the manipulation of energy such as light or sound, or even through what may be considered the simplest method - the subject has wings.

A Harbinger can be identified by tests to locate a gene, commonly known as the Harbinger gene. It has been determined by this world’s scientists that this gene is the source, or perhaps a catalyst, in a human’s ability to have powers. Those with powers are called Harbingers.

However, there are beings who have powers which are very similar to Harbingers but are also not the result of technology. These beings are known by many names, the most common of which in this era is Mage. Mages have the ability to manipulate a force called “magic”. There is no scientific evidence that can either prove or disprove the existence of magic. This force has been described as having a variety of sources, depending upon which philosophy or belief system one ascribes to. The ability to manipulate magic is inborn, though it can be achieved through the use of an object. This ability cannot be detected by genetic scan, but by those with the ability to detect magic. Control of the force is tenuous, and believed to be influenced by the wielder’s force of will.

Magic! Those are the enemy are they not. They are the ones that threaten your world like the Bedwyr threaten ours. They of the magic seek to control all they see. They seek to wipe out that which is not of the magic. I will help fight these abnominations.

Guardian, not all Mages on this world are evil and the enemy, just like not all Harbingers or Extraterrestrials are evil. In fact, a Mage has been approached to join the team I am forming. He is a good man, and works to fight against those who would harm others.

*Growl* Magic is of the Bedwyr. The Bedwyr are the enemy! I will not be associated with those of the enemy! They seek to destroy all that is not of the magic. Magic is evil. Bedwyr are Evil! This is a trick of the Bedwyr! You are of the Bedwyr! You seek to trick me……

Why would I seek to trick you? Have I done anything to harm you? Think of how you are reacting. The enemy of your people uses magic, therefore all magic is evil. Is that not a prejudicial and discriminatory?

How can I not say these things. My very existanse is to destroy the Bedwyr and to protect those of my family. What you say makes sense, you have helped me and this is a different world, but magic it seeks to corrupt and destroy all that is not of it. I am already dead to my people I do not wish to die or to be destroyed by the magic. I am a space born, I live to fight, I have to have no fear…..Why am I so afraid?

It is a natural, biological function to feel the emotion fear. It is believed by some scholars that fear of the unknown is a survival instinct. Even superheroes here on Earth can be afraid.

What is a superhero?

A superhero is someone who uses their extraordinary abilities to fight crime and assist those in need or distress. Superheroes motivations vary, from a belief that they are obligated to act as they do because they have the powers or abilities, to a pure hatred of crime.

The appearance of a superhero is also important. It is not just the clothes or costume they wear, or the colour of their skin, but how they perform their actions. Those who use excessive force in the apprehension of criminals, especially if it results in collateral damage and fatal injuries to beings, are 99% of the time viewed to be as dangerous as those beings with powers who act as criminals. These violent heroes are hunted by the police, the government, and by other heroes because of their actions.

Society also has the tendency towards prejudice. If a Harbinger commits a violent crime, there is almost always an outcry of rage from the public, and calls for controls to be placed on all Harbingers. These controls range from forced registration of Harbinger to imprisonment, execution or exile.

So even if one does what is best even if the enemy should be killed it is viewed as an injustice to the person who commited the crime? This makes no sense. Those who seek to protect those who cannot protect themselves from the enemy are frowned upon by those they seek to help if they do harm to that person? Why would a crime by a Harbinger be view as any different then that by a normal human? Are they not in a sence both of the same speices?

You will find that humans are a very complex and highly unpredictable species. Most of the species fear anything which they do not understand and cannot control. Because Harbingers have powers which let them do things that a normal human cannot, they are feared.

Harbinger-related crimes are viewed differently because of this fear. Combat between Harbingers is often far more destructive than combat between normal humans. This provides yet another reason for the humans to fear them.

Harbingers are not the only ones whose actions are regarded very closely. Law enforcement officers are also looked upon harshly. If a police officer shoots and kills someone during the course of his duty, there is often an outcry from the public. A special unit of the police will conduct an investigation and if it was determined that the death was justified - such as the criminal was shooting a gun at the officer or his/her partner - they will not be charged. In any other circumstance, the police will be subject to the same penalties as the rest of society.

This is a very complex society. The rules seem to contradict each other…..

That they do, Guardian. That they do. That is why there are people known as lawyers, whose duty it is to learn about the laws and help people understand them. If a person is accused of a crime, a lawyer will assist them.

What if the person is guilty of the crime?

If the person confesses to the crime, or is found guilty in a trial, the person is punished according to a set of laws. Laws are a set of rules that the people who govern a society set down so that people know what they are not allowed to do.

What is a trial?

A trial is a process through which a person is found to be guilty or not guilty. This is done by the presentation of evidence about the crime. This evidence can be statements from people who saw the crime, any weapons or other items used to commit the crime, things that might have been stolen, or things that were found at the place where the crime happened.

Who decides if the person is guilty?

If there is a jury, they decide. A jury is a group of people that are supposed to be like the person who is a ccused of committing the crime. if there is no jury, then the judge decides. A judge of the person who runs the trial.

This is very confusing. What if the person says they didn’t commit the crime?

A trial is held. If the person is found guilty, then they are punished according to the laws.

How are they punished?

It depends on what crime they are found guilty of. It ranges from paying a sum of money as a penalty, to going to jail.

Why don’t they just kill the criminals?

In this society, murder, or the unjust killing of a being, is one of the worst crimes someone can commit. The only people who can legally kill someone is the government when they execute a criminal who has committed what is considered a capital crime such as murdering a police officer or killing someone with premeditation.

There are lesser degrees of punishment for other kinds of killing. For example, you kill someone in self-defense because they are going to kill you and you have absolutely no other way to escape. Or if the person’s death was the result of a legitimate accident.

To defend oneself from being destroyed, one cannot destroy the enemy without themselves being punished?! What kind of justice is this? What is a police officer? Who is the government? and why do they have say over the life and death of others?

On this world, there is often a difference between justice and law. It is against the law to kill someone, even if it were justified. If you break the law, society believes you must be punished.

While the police are the ones who enforce the law, it is the government which punishes the offenders. It is done this way as the government is supposed to represent the people and is unbiased. Most punishment occurs as time to be served in a prison facility. The punishment of death, known as the death sentence, is reserved only for the worst of all crimes - which in this society is premeditated murder, multiple murder, or the murder of a police officer.

What makes a police officer more special then an average human?

Police officers are some of the few people allowed to legally carry a weapon. They are trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat, and they are a favourite target of criminals and those who do not respect authority. They also receive training in the law. Their duties put them in danger almost constantly, and the rest of society expects them to be role models. That is why when a police officer does something against the law, it seems that much worse than if a civilian does it.

They are in a sense the protectors of humanity from itself?

You could say that.

Why must I hide who I am?

There are those who would fear you and want to kill you because you a not human. There are those such as Bane Industries who would hold you prisoner and force you to work for them, or even kill you and dissect you, hoping to learn something which would make them powerful.

But why? I have done nothing wrong to them. I would be most willing to help them if they were worthy and would not bring harm with what I know. This world is strange.

Not all humans believe as you and I do. They see anything which is different as something to be exploited. If someone with these beliefs knew what your true nature was, they may seek to harm you, whether it is out of fear, hatred, or the belief that you are a threat to them. I suspect it may be similar to what may have happened you should one of the Bedwyr managed to capture you.

If the Bedwyr were to capture me I would do everything in my power to aviod it even death would be more exepable then to being captured by them. They know the secrets of death and how to prolong it. *shudder* Yes death would be perferable.

Many believe that any being that does not look human is something to be feared. You have seen their movies that have “monsters” in them. It can be believed that mankind, in general, would behave that way in the real world if confronted by a creature that did not look human.

But what about the Kraan? In the books and on the videos they look to be human? Why are the humans afraid of them?

Because they can look human, but are not human.

Who is Bane?

Bane is an evil man. His sole purpose in life to is make money at the expense of other people. Bane controls Bane Industries. Bane Industries is made up of hundreds of smaller companies that do many different things. One of these smaller companies created me. A different company captured you and separated you from your other half.

Why not simply kill this Bane if he is such an evil person. Such evil should not be allowed to survive. Does this Bane not have enough of this money? If he has so much why does he want more?

We cannot just kill Bane because that would not stop the evil. It is like saying kill a single Bedwyr ship and that will stop the war. In this world where you need money to survive, the more money you have the more you can buy. The more you can buy, the more powerful you can become. To some people, money is the source of all happiness. Others, such as Bane, see it as a tool. They use it to bribe important officials so they will ignore illegal or unethical things they see. They use their money to build or buy powerful weapons to be used for their own purposes, and not for the defense of those who cannot protect themselves.

When can we go to rescue my other half? Why can’t we go now?

Bane Industries is powerful, and they know that as long as you are alive, you will be trying to get back to your other half. You and I are in no condition to try and rescue her. We must wait until our team is strong enough and experienced enough to be able to go against Bane and have a chance at succeeding. To attack unprepared is almost as bad, if not worse, than not attacking at all. We cannot afford for any of us to get captured by Bane.

How long will it be before the team is ready? Can they be trusted? Who are they? I miss my other…..

There are five people who will be members of the team. Some of them have chosen aliases as I have recommended that you do. The ones who have are known as Boreas, Biostorm, Totem, and Jezebel. One who hasn’t yet is Nathan Phillips. There is a sixth potential member, but she does not trust me and has not yet made her decision as to join or not.

How long it will take for the team to be ready I do not know. None of them have any great levels of experience in either combat or in team tactics. Until that point, it would be suicide to attempt to retrieve your other. I believe that they can be trusted. They believe as we do that people such as Bane must be stopped. I would, however, advise against revealing your true nature to them until such point as a strong relationship has been created between you and the others. I cannot predict with any accuracy what their reaction would be, so it would be best to let them think you are an automaton for the time being, should they believe that. It is, in all likelihood what their first impressions may be. They are aware of my ability to create artificial constructions and will most likely assume that you are one of them.

Is this what you wish for me to do. Say I am of you? Would this not become difficult as they become more aware of my habits? I am not like you, I am me.

You do not need to tell them anything about yourself if you do not wish to. If they wish to believe you are an artificial construct, then let them. I understand you are an individual, and that is a wonderful thing. And you will be able to reveal your true self to them as time passes, but I recommend that you wait until *you* feel you trust them enough to tell them the truth.

Are you a space born?

No, I am not. I am a sentient being, but have no ship, or actually any kind of body except that which I can create for myself.

How can you be a being with out a body? Does one not need a body to be created? How is this possible?

For most life yes, a body is required. I was created out of a computer program. Due to circumstances which I have yet to discover, I achieved sentience. Perhaps, in effect, I do have a body. This computer mainframe is where the core of my consciousness resides. However, I can place portions of myself into other computer systems, such as the system which runs the suit which you wear.

You are but a program! Perhaps I have underestimated the ability of these humans.

I am not “just a program”. I started off as one, but evolved beyond that point. It is like saying your other half is just a ship. And do not underestimate humanity. They are capable of great genius, as well as stupidity. Not giving them enough credit could well lead to our destruction.

It is also speculated, and has appeared in the forms of fiction known as science fiction and fantasy, that beings can exist without a physical form - exist as beings of pure energy. Stories of beings without physical bodies have also appeared in the myths and legends of many cultures on this world. However, there have been no confirmed sightings of beings matching these descriptions.

What is a harlot?

A harlot is a woman of low moral standards. The term is often applied to a woman who sex with a large number of men, and the choices seem to be indiscriminate.

What is sex?

Sex is an act of physical intimacy through which humans reproduce. All animal life has sex, though it is only human beings who can perform the act solely for the pleasure it creates.

How can one desecrate the scared of rituals for the sole purpuse of pleasure! The act of procreation is one of much planing and of ceremony.

While humans no longer believe that the act of procreation should be limited to solely that of the creation of a new life, not all of them have sex whenever they want. Humanity is a relatively short-lived species, even though it has one of the longest life cycles on this planet.

I am also afraid to say that Western society (that being society which developed from cultures living in Europe) hold very little value for ritual, unless they are of an orthodox religion. Even then, the value and honouring of ritual applies only when doing so for God, the object of their worship.

What is the Bible?

The Bible is a piece of literature which people who follow the religious faith of Christianity believe contains the story of the creation of the world. It also contains stories about people who are purported to have lived hundreds of centuries ago, as well as instructions on the manner in which the believers should live, and includes a set of moral and ethical guidelines. The Bible is the foundation of their faith.

All religions have their own equivalent of the Bible, but are called different names and have different contents, but the purpose is the same.

This bible is a collection of the creation and the history of your world?

It is considered by those who are Christian to be such a document. However, there is no scientific evidence to support any of the information contained therein. Nor is there any scientific evidence that proves that the story in the bible is incorrect. The Bible is not the only document which outlines the history of this world. There are scholars known as historians who spend their lives doing research into the past of humanity, and share their findings in the form of books and magazines, among many other forms of media.

What is religion?

Religion is a set of beliefs, usually formalized, which people follow to give purpose and meaning to their lives. There are many different kinds of religions, but most maintain there is a higher (more powerful) being (or beings) which created the world and set down the laws by which people should live.

How can there be more then one religion? There is only one truth as the to birth of the world and one set of guildlines in which one must follow?

Religions are often based on myths, which are stories humans created to explain things they did not understand. Different populations of humans in different parts of the world developed their own stories as to the creation of the world. None of these stories have yet to been proven true, nor has the technology of this world been able to come up with a quantified and accepted method for the creation of the world.

People who follow a specific religion believe that their version of the creation of the world is the correct one, and have gone to war - and are still warring with each other -over these unsubstantiated stories.

This makes no sense. If none can prove that their religion is true then why make war over it. It is a pointless thing to create much death over. War is made only under the gravest of cercumstances.

There are many people who agree. There are many who believe that there is no acceptable reason for war, whether it is for religion or otherwise.

How long is the life span of a human?

The average human lives approximately 70 to 75 years, with a year being the length of time for this planet to circle the sun once.

Why are humans so ugly?

Ugliness or beauty are based upon a person’s own perceptions. What is considered beautiful is often a learned standard, and the ideal of beauty can change very rapidly.

This is true. You are very wise Anook. I am honoured to be one of your Katans. I will try not to be disgusted by the form in which these beings are housed.

Wouldn’t It be Good Part IV - Story Arc #7

Wouldn’t It Be Good

Part IV

Jez turned away from Guardian now and directing her attention towards Rosie. “Jezebel. I hunt daemons, devils, ghosts, and those sorts of things.” She said this loud enough so that daemon boy should be able to hear her, but not loud enough to have to be shouting at the top of her lungs. The statement was mostly for his benefit though. Though he probably already knows what she does and she knows that. “You can call me Gillian though, everyone else does.”

Jez paused and the shrugged, “So what do we do at these first time superhero meetings? Beat the snot out of each other for a misunderstanding, just like in the comic books? Or do we just go get a pizza and get drunk or something?”

Rosie’s smile stayed in place. “I don’t know what the protocol is, exactly. I’ve never met other superheroes before.” She extended a hand. “I hope it’s the latter, though, because I’m a firm believer in ‘make love, not war.’”

Then her smile faded. “That is, except where people like those responsible for what I saw earlier are concerned. Like I said to Guardian, I’d like to do whatever I can to help. Now I hope that we’ll be able to say ‘Cracklin’ Rosie, Get On Board.’” The joke, small as it was, brought the light back into her eyes. “Speaking of signing up, who do I talk to about that?”

*Anook this has become a rather frequent question that has been asked in the last few days. We never did have a chance to discuss the protocols involving this. At this time there are three that wish to join the Sentinels. This culture is so bizarre.*

*Many people need an example of behaviour, or a situation, to get them motivated. These people may have been wanting to use their powers for good, but have not had the opportunity to do so.* Aidan explained. *Those who wish to join the group need to be interviewed, like that reporter did with you after the incident at the convention. I will tell Boreas and Nathan that there is someone who wishes to join the team. Pick a place to meet, Guardian, and I will have the others meet you there.*

Noticing that the silence was seemingly growing in response to her question, Rosie added, after several moments, “Uh, have I asked a sensitive question?” She deliberately avoided referring to Gillian’s personal remarks to Guardian, or her allusion to other Sentinels being injured. That didn’t mean she was unaware of them, however. Rather, she was taking the opportunity to get some idea of the group’s internal dynamics, before she got directly involved.

*Perhaps Anook,* Guardian said to Aidan. *A room somewhere would be more appropriate as opposed to meeting out in the open. A hotel room perhaps? There are a few all night places open downtown that I have passed on my way to the movies. Perhaps one of them would be more appropriate?*

*I will make the arrangements,* Aidan replied. *Get everyone into the van and go to the Ambassador Suites hotel.* He gave Guardian the address. *There will be keys waiting for you at the front desk.*

“If you will get into the van,” Guardian announced, repeating Aidan’s words. “We will be going to a safe place where we can meet.”

Rosie sent out another message to her “family”. *Looks like we’re off to the powwow. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get home.*

The drive to the hotel was uneventful, and Guardian got the keys to the suite with a minimum of fuss. She was thankful that Aidan had insisted that she learn to write in the human’s crude language, because she had to sign her name on some papers.

Rosie looked around. “Do you suppose they get this kind of clientele a lot?”

When she returned to where the others were standing, Boreas arrived, bringing with her a wave of cold air.

“Brr!” Rosie said. “Isn’t it supposed to be Summer in this hemisphere right now?”

An icy chill preceded Boreas’s entrance into the suite. She was back in her blue and white body suit with brown leather jacket, her standard heroing attire. She noticed some of the looks of discomfort. “Uhm, would you guys like me to turn up the heat a bit?” She began to move over to the temperature controls, but her rollerblades caught in the thick vermilion carpet, almost causing her to trip and fall. Sitting down in a chair she removed the weathered black blades. Everyone noticed her movements as a bit slow and jerky, while accompanied by an occasional grimace. The result of the bruises and concussion she had sustained earlier that evening.

“So guys, Aidan like tells me there’s a new girl-type who wants to join our little posse.” She gingerly got up out of the chair and walked over to Rosie. Passing by Guardian she whispered, “It would be nice if you could find a few cute guys who wanted to join up too ya know.” Without waiting for a reply she extended her hand toward the newcomer. “Nice to meetcha. I’m.” She then glanced at Jez. “Hey are we on a first name basis, or double-ultra-secret-ID thingie here?”

Rosie’s first reaction was, she’s cold. Her second reaction was, she’s cute. Thus she was glad that she was wearing both the thermal bodystocking and face mask which were originally intended to keep her from freezing while she flew. She had little doubt that the young lady could probably make things even cooler if she wanted to, however. Her ears also pricked up at the mention of the name “Aidan.” Could that be their leader? If so, why wasn’t he meeting her personally? Despite the girl’s off-handed question, secrecy did appear to be important to these people. Gillian-Jezebel’s earlier remark about those who were still mobile, combined with the girl’s apparent discomfort, suggested that it was with good reason.

“How do you do,” she replied, holding out a hand. “Call me Cracklin’ Rosie, and I have no problem with keeping secrets, yours or mine. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ always seemed to me to be a fine theory.” Smiling, she gestured toward a chair. “Why don’t you sit down? No need to go to any trouble on my account–and you look like you wouldn’t mind, either.”

“We are still using our id’s, Boreas,” Guardian replied. “There are a few others who also wish to join the Sentinels as well.”

Boreas turned to look at Guardian quizzically. “Others? So is it like pledge week for Harbingers or something?” She smiled at Guardian and then turned back to Cracklin’ Rosie and shook her hand.

Cracklin’ Rosie noticed that Boreas’s hand was actually quite warm, much warmer than she would have suspected given her chill cast. However when Rosie removed her hand, it was a tad numb, as if it had been stuck in a bucket of ice.

Boreas eyes betrayed no hint that there was anything wrong in the simple exchange. “Nice to meet you Rosie. Cool name by the way, but do you mind if I just call you Rosie, or do you go by some other nick-name like Crackers?” She said with a slight grin. “Like the Amazon said, my Harbinger name is Boreas and I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of this little meeting sitting down.” With that she plopped down into a plush loveseat.

Rosie flexed her hand, trying not to be too obvious about it. In some ways, it was rather like a good, firm handshake. “Rosie is fine,” she replied. “If you’re not a Neil Diamond fan, then it would take a while to explain where my nom de guerre comes from.” She paused and looked obliquely at Boreas. “I draw the line at being called a cracker, though.”

Boreas shrugged. “Sure like no prob Rosie.” She mulled the name over in her mind and couldn’t quite place it. “Neil Diamond huh? I don’t suppose he’s related to Travest Diamond who plays for the Avalanche? Eh, well didn’t think so.” Now that she was sitting and comfortable the ambient air temperature seemed to warm up a bit.

“Still it’s a cool name.I just like pulled my name outta a book myself.nothing special about it.” She said with a slight frown.

To her initial assessment, Rosie added, _she’s even younger than she looks, too._ Aloud she said, ” I wouldn’t say that. ‘Boreas’ is both succinct and poetic. And anyway, a friend thought of ‘Cracklin’ Rosie,’ not me.” She also noted the apparent lack of reaction on anyone else’s part to the expression “cracker.” If terms like that weren’t in common use on this side of the border, it was just as well. Clearly Boreas hadn’t meant anything by it…

“So like who’s gonna start the 20 questions?” Boreas asked to no one in particular and then wondered to herself why she was acting so flighty. Perhaps it had something to do with the healing drugs she was given?

“Do you think that 20 questions will be enough?” Rosie asked, amused. “And do I get to ask questions too, or is this a one-way transaction?” One could almost hear the twinkle in her eye. “Sure I am game, as long as like both sides here” She looked around at her cohorts, “understand that there are some matters that should remain private.” She finished off with a smile.

Guardian contined to stand off to one side of the room watching the interaction between the three of them with great interest. At the mention of 20 questions got a bit of a puzzled look on her face.

Rosie spread her hands. “Fine by me. If you don’t ask, I won’t tell, and vice versa–unless it’s something important that one of us has missed. Now, what do you want to know first?”

Jezebel just shrugged, looking like she wasn’t really too engaged in this conversation. “Whatever you want to do. Now I see why superheroes always fight when they meet each other… These conversations don’t exactly make gripping reading.”

Jezebel stood up from her seat on the tabletop and offered an open hand to Rosie. “Hi. I’m Gillian. Resident pain in the ass. I call myself Jezebel…even though I’ve been told that that’s not an appropriate name.”

Following the handshake, Jez looked towards Boreas. “Now that everything looks like it’s under control, I’m going to go play a video game… Or, better yet, see if I can figure out how to program our exercise room…”

As she starts to walk away, the sharp eared might hear her mumble something like… “I hope this thing works like those rooms on Star Trek…”

Guardian looked at Jezebel. “Yes, the exercise room at base does work under the same principles as those from the show Star Trek The Next Generation. It uses a holographic projector to simulate the surroundings and scenarios. Aidan would be more the willing to help you, program it.” Guardian absently looked at the mechanical spider on her shoulder and then looked at Rosie.

Rosie hadn’t had a chance to get a word in edgewise. She realized that it didn’t matter, either. The contradictions between Gillian’s words and actions raised a lot of questions in her mind, but they clearly belonged to the category of “matters that should remain private,” at least for now. She filed them away for future reference, together with the other things she was noticing, and looked around at the others, waiting for the open questioning to start.

Guardian gave Rosie a lopsided big goofy grin that somehow seemed out of place on her. “Here I was afraid, that I did not know the procedures for such a meeting. I do admit I am some what relieved that I am not the only one fumbling right now.” The look remained plastered on her face. “Perhaps the best question would be why do you want to join our ….. Team”

On her way towards the door, Gillian paused and glanced at Guardian. After a moment’s thought, she gestured towards the metallic spider on Guardian’s shoulder.

“You mind if I borrow that for a couple of minutes?” she asked Guardian. “I think I need to have a conversation with it.”

Guardian looked at Jezebel and you could swear for a second a look of panic passed across her face the goofy grin gone. And her normal look replaced on her face. After a second she reached up for the mechanical spider.

Rosie’s eyes narrowed behind her mask, but she kept her thoughts to herself for the moment. Now was definitely the time to observe.

Guardian held up her hand and let the mechanical spider walk on her hand and she held it out for Jezebel. “Please be careful with him.” A soft look on Guardian’s face as she held it out.

Gillian gingerly took the spider from Guardian, perhaps even more gingerly than Guardian expected. Gillian held her hand out, palm up near Guardian’s hand to allow the spider to scurry across of it’s own intention.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him.” Gillian said and then winked at Guardian. “I’ll go out and show him the town. Take in a show. Dinner afterwards, of course. I’ll make sure he charges it all to your credit card.”

Gillian grinned back at the goofy, confused expression she expected Guardian to return, and then started heading towards the door. Not paying the spider that much additional attention, she allowed it to perch where ever it seems to feel comfortable.

In the uncomfortable silence following Gillian’s departure, Rosie spoke up again–as much because her curiosity was piqued, as to try to get things back on track. She jerked her thumb at the door by which Gillian had left. “OK, since no one seems to have anything to ask me, I’ll ask _you_ something: what was that mechanical spider-thing? I’ve never seen robotics that sophisticated–or that small. What’s so special about it?”

Boreas jumped to her feet, looking around somewhat startled. “What Spider thing?!?” She then waits for a moment before cracking smile. “Oh you mean Aidan’s little helper! Well our benefactor is an absolute whiz with machines and the like, creates all these like funky gadgets and gizmos…just like in one of those Space Trek shows.” She then sidled up next to Rosie making sure that Guardian would have trouble hearing. “Frankly no one’s really SEEN this Aidan fella’…I’m thinking he may be a bit on the odd and/or shy side myself. You know how those reclusive, millionaire, philanthropists tend to be.” She finished with a wink.

Rosie glanced sidelong at Boreas, then once again at the door through which Gillian had left, then back at Boreas again. She wasn’t entirely sure what the girl was getting at–or perhaps avoiding–but her manner suggested that wasn’t all there was to the story. Still, it did confirm Rosie’s suspicion that the mastermind was not present, at least, not physically. “I… see,” she replied after a moment. “So, Aidan, you said? Does he control everything by remote, like Charlie’s Angels? And things like that spider are how he communicates with you?”

Boreas just stared at Rosie, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide. “Woah! Like you can fly!” She followerd that declaration with a half dozen other questions in rapid fire succession concerning, how high, far, fast, before she realized that perhaps a little more composure on her part was in order. She was supposed to be a superhero after all , and these things…while way friggin kewl, were just part of the local harbinger scene. Therefore, lest the others take her for a total newbie to the whole superhero gig, which of course she was, she tried to recover. Calming down a bit, she adjusted her jacket and spoke in a more casual tone. “I mean flying can be like a a big asset to a team.” She looked at her feet in disappointment. ” I just skate and make things cold.” She said solemly.

“Uhm…so…like what else do you do?” Her voice perked up a little.

Rosie smiled warmly at Boreas’s enthusiasm. She understood all too well how the younger woman felt. She hadn’t been like this for even a year yet herself. On top of which, she was finally in the company of other Harbingers. A little bit of gushing on her part might have been understandable as well. “If you substitute ‘fly’ and ‘electric’ for ’skate’ and ‘cold’ in that sentence, you have the basic idea,” she said. “As best I can make out, I’m superconductive at room temperature. I can give off about as much current as your average lightning bolt, except with no measurable resistance and no accompanying magnetic field. That’s the Reader’s Digest version, anyway. Now about your other questions…” She ticked them off on her fingers. “I haven’t tried to find out how high I can go. I’d need life support gear to go above about 3000 meters, though, since I still breathe air like other people do. I also don’t know how far I can go yet, though I seem to hit a point where it feels like I could go on as long as I like, a sort-of ‘cruise control.’ As for how fast, well, I’ve clocked myself going just over 400kph, once I get going. About the only things on land that go faster than that are some of the new high-speed bullet trains in Japan.”

With that, Rosie took a deep breath. “Now what about the two of you? Boreas, how cold can you make things? What makes that thermodynamic reaction happen? And when you skate, how does that work? My first guess would be that you somehow reduce friction coefficients between yourself and whatever you’re standing on. However you do it, it’s amazing.” She was genuinely interested; her engineering background was coming to the fore.

Rosie turned to Guardian. “Sorry I blanked on what you said earlier. That whole thing distracted me.” .o0 Not to mention that look you get on your face, 0o. she added to herself. .o0 Botched plastic surgery? 0o. She quickly continued, “I only just now realized that you were asking me a question after all. Like I said at the rendezvous, I don’t like people who take advantage of other people. Never have. Until I got like this, though,” and here she made herself crackle more noticeably, floating slightly off the ground, “reacting to trouble was all I could do. But now I can be proactive instead. And I think I can do more good as part of a group than by myself. So if you’re recruiting, here I am.”

With that, Rosie lowered herself back to the floor. “So is Mr. Aidan the one who will rule on my application? And what else would you like to know about me? Maybe we can swap notes about our respective abilities? I’m open to suggestions.”

Boreas started to chuckle. “Oh you’ll be finding out about Aidan soon enough I guess. He’s a bit reclusive, so I don’t know what he would have me tell you… However a scientist is just one of his many talents I would think.” She looked at the others in the room. “I can’t speak for the rest, but I think you would be a fine addition to out merry little band here. I mean most of us are new to the team too.” She then glanced around the suite looking for a computer terminal. Spying none she walked over to a nearby phone and picked up the receiver. “Hey Aidan, you there?” Boreas heard only the dial tone.

Three quick knocks on the hotel door and then before it can be opened, Jez pushes it open and walks casually back into the room.

“I know what you mean, but I still prefer the original series.” Jez said out loud, to nobody in particular apparently. “Riker is no Kirk. I always preferred Spock to Kirk though.” She paused and then glanced around the room, oblivious to the possibility that she might have just interrupted an important conversation.

“Hey, the arcade downstairs is excellent. The restaurant menu doesn’t look very good though.” Jez paused long enough to glance around the room to make sure everyone was still alive before she continued talking. “I think Aidan might have a date with the reservation’s computer too. I told him to stop flirting with the terminal, but he just wouldn’t listen to me.” Jez turned her head slightly to look at the construct sitting on her right shoulder. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re working two jobs to support a half dozen pocket calculators.”

Rosie found all of these comments peculiar, to say the least. She wasn’t sure just how much importance to attach to them, however, given the source. But combined with Guardian’s reaction to being parted from the miniature robot, it might be much more significant. Was this device how Aidan communicated with his agents in the field, perhaps? Rosie put that train of thought on the back burner, because there wasn’t nearly enough information yet to enable her to go beyond pointless speculation. There was something to be said for her taste in TV watching, though.

Jez brought her attention back to the newbie now, walking right up in front of her and looking her in the eye for a moment without saying anything. Finally, just a few seconds before the situation became uncomfortable Jez said, “Hi.” and have a small introductory wave.

Jez then said nothing for a few seconds again. “So, if you don’t mind, I think we’d like you to accompany us back to our headquarters for a little bit. We’ll have to blindfold you probably, but those types of decisions are not up to me. It’s those super-spy, James Bond kind of things.”

“Oh,” Jez said with a smile, as if it had slipped her mind. “My real name is Gillian. Gillian Harrison if it makes a difference to you. You don’t have to tell me your name if you don’t want, I just don’t have anything I need to be defensive about.”

Rosie smiled and waved back, but gave no other indication that she was rising to the bait. “For now, I think ‘Rosie’ will be just fine, thank you,” she replied, her voice as nonchalant as the rest of her.

Jez wrinkled her nose slightly, as if she was a little surprised that her intentionally odd behavior didn’t ellict a more extreme response from the newbie.

“Rosie then. That’s fine with me.” Jez said with a slight shrug. “Probably just means you have a better social schedule than me… If all the people I knew just dropped off the face of the planet, the world would probably be better off for it…”

Jez paused and then glanced at the floor for a second, before mumbling under her breath… “Of course, if all my dates in the past month disappeared it would probably be the same as giving the world gene pool a good scrubbing.”

“Anyway, like I was saying,” Jez said, her mind hopscotching across conversations. “I set up a kind of training scenario back at the base in our danger room, hologram, virtual reality thing. It will also give us a chance to show you the digs back at home.”

Jez paused, as an after thought, and looked to her comrades. “That’s if no one has any arguments with my plans?”

“I’m willing to undergo any reasonable precautions, if it means we can continue our negotiations in real privacy, with everyone concerned present. And this holographic danger room sounds interesting too.” With that, Rosie fell silent, waiting for the reactions of her hosts.

“Yeah, the pay by the hour special rate room near the highway isn’t quite the best place to hold auditions.” Jez commented and then finally backed out of Rosie’s personal space. “So how are we going to do this? Blindfold her? Drug her? Teleport her?”

Jez turned to look at Guardian now, “Security is your thing, isn’t it? Got any ideas.

Guardian looked much calmer after getting Aidan back. “We will take the van. There are precautions in there.” *Anook, good to have you back. I will take Rosie through one of the entrances with the van.*

*I would recommend blindfolding her once you leave the hotel,* Aidan replied mentally to Guadian. *I do not want to have to destroy one of the entrances to the base if things do not work out.*

For someone who professed to have nothing to hide, Gillian seemed to regret an awful lot of things, Rosie thought. She still wasn’t sure how much was real and how much bravado, but the important thing right now was to find out whether they would be able to work together. There would be time enough for personal issues once they answered that question.

Rosie kept her smile in place, hands at her sides. Inwardly, however, she was delighted at the thought of getting to meet the man behind the team. Now they were getting somewhere. She cared very much about the feelings of her prospective teammates, but she also preferred to deal directly with the decision-makers wherever possible.

In the sudden silence, Rosie had an inspiration. She looked at each of them, then closed her eyes and turned around, crossing her wrists behind her back. Letting herself be blindfolded was a symbolic gesture at best, and she knew it. She also knew that sometimes the symbolic gestures are the ones that matter most. This seemed to her to be one such time.

“Who’s credit card is the room on?” Jez asked, rhetorically, as she reached into the closet to snag one of the extra pillows. “I’m not sure how much they charge for missing linen.”

She then pulled the pillow out of it’s pillowcase and dropped the pillow onto the closet floor without a second thought. She then offered the pillowcase to Guardian. “Blindfold. Good enough for you?”

Guardian nodded and took the pillow case and walked over to Rosie. “Are you ready?” Guardian looked down at her.

Without changing her stance, Rosie replied, “Something just occurred to me. Wouldn’t it be better to do this after we leave the hotel? Even if no one turned a hair when we walked in, the sight of one of us exiting blindfolded and surrounded by the others might still raise a few eyebrows, no pun intended.” Her posture showed her willingness to cooperate in any case.

” I was not planning on blindfolding you here,” Guardian replied. “But in the van. If you are ready we shall go.”

At these words, Rosie opened her eyes and turned to face Guardian. “In that case, after you,” she said, gesturing at the door.

Boreas fastened her blades back on as people were making ready to leave. She was giddy with excitement thinking that this appeared to be more of a sorority for harbingers than an actual hero team. And here was there newest applicant ready to jump through all the initiatory hoops that the put forth. At least Rosie was being a good sport about things. Boreas imagined her reaction may have been a little more on the side of cautious paranoia.

“So guys, like how long is this whole initiation thing gonna take? Just wondering since some people have to be up early tomorrow.”

“Not very long.” Aidan’s voice came from the small spider construct. “The testing scenario is set and awaiting your arrival. The length of time needed to complete the scenario will depend on the efficiency of your actions.”

“Huh, that’s funny. Sounded like we are all supposed to participate in this.” Boreas quipped. “I don’t need to remind people of what happened the last time I was put in that room do I?” She said gravely, but then quickly reconsidered her wording. “Not that there’s anything for you to worry about Rosie!” She finished with a half smile.

It took Rosie a moment to realize that Boreas was speaking to her. The voice that came from the spider-bot made her do a double-take. She looked at the (significantly) younger woman, smiling again at her enthusiasm. Then she recalled what Boreas had said about her abilities earlier. “I hope you’re right,” she replied simply.

As they filed out of the room, Rosie said, “By the way, I’m sorry if I alarmed you earlier. I wasn’t thinking straight. Whatever you’re doing, it can’t be nuclear. If it was, you’d be a walking hot spot.” At best, she added to herself.

“Yeah I kinda figured that when I didn’t glow in the dark. Would have made crime-fighting late a night a lot more interesting.” She laughed. “But I appreciate your concern. Fact is I try not to think about how all the radiation I absorb is screwing me up inside. One of the reasons I don’t carry a cell phone with me. But I figure I must have some harbinger ability that neutralizes the harmful side-effects…at least I haven’t noticed any so far.”

She then noticed the others giving her some questioning glances. “Except for blowing up that is.” She amended sheepishly. “But I think I’ve got that under control now.”

“Heh,” Rosie replied. “Whatever these Harbinger effects are, they’re not science–at least, no science I ever heard of. I’m grateful for them–but I don’t understand them. Still, they’ve kept this long, so I expect they’ll keep a little longer. Let’s go meet the boss.”

“You may remove Cracklin’ Rosie’s blindfold now,” Aidan said, his voice coming from the spider-bot that sat on the dashboard of the van. The ride back to the base had uneventful. “Proceed directly to the training room. The simulation is loaded and waiting for your arrival.”

Guardian removed the blindfold from Rosie and then motioned her to follow her. “If you come this way we shall begin. And are there any particular weapons that you will need? As well as questions.”

Rosie shook her head, trying to take in the scene around her. “No,” she replied, “no weapons, I think. As for questions… I’ll get back to you on that, when I have an idea of where to start.”

Rosie’s eyes adjusted to the bright light quickly and she saw that she was in a huge underground cavern. Near where the van was parked was a huge pool in which was docked something that looked like a cross between a jet-boat and a submarine, and a crane was installed next to the pool, probably to lift the boat out for dry dock repairs.

To the right of the pool were two sports cars, also on platforms, with ramps leading to tunnels which extended off of the cavern. Continuing to the right were a pair of motorcycles. There was another pool containing something that kind of looked like a plane with some really weird engines. All of the vehicles were painted in gray marine-style primer.

In the farthest most corner of the cavern was a huge alcove-like area in which robots were working on-stop. There appeared to be no vehicle inside, and it was unlit.

At the far side of the cavern was a set of stairs leading up to a platform in front of a large pair of elevator doors.

The talking spider-bot was still amazing enough. Or so Rosie thought before she saw the inside of the cavern. As they walked on, she tried to take in as much
as she could, even if she couldn’t make much sense out of it. Her expression changed from delight to confusion. “How do they work?” she wondered aloud.

Guardian stopped and turned to Rosie. “Most of them work by a simple motorized preprogramable system with a remote access modem to update there programming. They take care of the bases simpler repairs and maintenance. They are a very common site here. The more advance ones work off a different system but that is about all I can say about them. Any other questions?”

It took Rosie a moment to realize that she had spoken aloud, and another moment to realize what, specifically, Guardian was referring to. “Oh, you mean those robots?” she said as they made their way up the stairs and toward the doors.

“I was talking about these vehicles,” Rosie explained. “I can’t tell what they use for engines, which is just one more thing that interests me. I’m curious about those robots too, now that you mention it, but cybernetics isn’t really my specialty. Those would have to be pretty impressive ‘modems’ to send enough data at high enough speeds to run machines that sophisticated, though.”

With that, she went silent for a moment. Before they stepped into the elevator, she thought of scanning the wireless communications bands most likely to fit the bill. Then she remembered that anything she might pick up would be so many ones and zeroes, at speeds faster than she could hope to decipher. Besides, such things weren’t her reason for being there, and like the others, she wasn’t quite ready to reveal all of her secrets, either. So she put the idea on the back burner for the time being.

“The engines work on a form of technology that is rather difficult to explain to someone not familiar with it,” Aidan explained, his voice now coming through speakers hidden somewhere in the elevator. “And it would take far too long to explain at this point in time. Perhaps, at some point in the future and you are made a member of the team, I can attempt to explain it to you. Suffice it to say the engines are pollution free and have little or no detectable emissions when operating, nor do they contain radioactive elements.”

Rosie’s eyes widened and she pursed her lips at these words, but she continued to hold her peace.

The elevator moved upwards for a time then stopped. The doors opened to reveal a short corridor which opened out into a large room. A door just large enough for Guardian to get through could be seen in the far wall opposite the elevator.

Guardian led the group into the room. To the left Rosie saw what must be some kind medical station. At first glance it seemed to be outfitted to service trauma such as broken bones and emergency first aid. Other than a medical bed, there was no other furniture in this room.

But that was nothing compared to what dominated the room. To her right she saw what looked for all the world like a loading bay door, and it was heavily reinforced. On either side of the door at the upper corners were panels of lights. About chest height to the right side of the door was a complex control panel with what appeared to be a speaker. As she watched, the door slid open and the light above the door turned a brilliant green.

“This is the HSTS, or the Holographic Simulation Training System,” explained Aidan. “It uses a form of solid light and a variety of other equipment and devices to simulate any and all possible environments, objectives and opponents. With the safety features in place, no one can receive lasting physical harm from participation in the scenarios. Any powers, no matter what their origin, are suppressed and replaced by the system with effects that duplicate them and their abilities within certain limits. In many ways,” Aidan continued, and Rosie could hear a touch of amusement in his voice. “it is similar to that of the holodecks as seen on Star Trek. And
please, do not ask me to explain how the system works or the technology that is uses. It is on a need to know basis and right now, I’m afraid, you don’t need to know.”

(Continued in “Rosie Tries Out For the Team.)

© Lisa Hartjes, 1999-2000, 2006.