Zeitgeist Blue

Nicole "I guess it wasn't that bad if nobody got hurt," Nicole said, turning to her friend. "Or died." She sighed then turned her attention to the waiting assembly. A thought niggled at the back of her mind, waiting for an answer, and she raised her hand for all to see, her eyes on Ambassador Ortilac. "Besides the obvious benefits of intergrating a new system state into your galactic-wide organization, what does the Coalition hope to gain from the Lia civilization? I imagine there was something about the Lia state which had caught the eye of the Coalition heads and allowed it to pass the prerequisite conditions so it could be accepted." Her question seemed to end there but after a moment's pause she spoke up again, voice cutting through the room. "And why hasn't there been an offer been extended Terra considering its proliferation of extra-normal citizens, which could allow it to offer the Coalition both military and scientific contributions disproportionate to its size? Given the record of past Praetorian and Terran superhuman operations wouldn't a more extensive cooperation be in both parties' best interests?

Nicole "If you're so determined to miss all of this, why don't you try another go at it?" Nicole said blithely, barely looking at the other dimensional prince. "Maybe if you annoy Chawla enough he'll let you go just to keep you quiet." Nicole crossed her arms and faced away from Leroy. She had resolved not to spend her last Claremont field trip herding cats like the Sun Dragon as there were much more fascinating going-ons than his failed bathroom break. Being in space was one thing. Space! And not merely within the Sol system but lightyears farther than she'd actually ever imagined travelling. She had thought herself an Earth-bound girl but the opportunity to witness the diplomatic union had come and she couldn't pass the chance up. One last field trip. So many aliens, and technology, and culture, and worlds all together to witness the Lia sign, just like four Claremont students aboard the A Grace in Steel. She was lucky the rest of her soon-to-be former schoolmates were not as determined to kick themselves out. Then Sitara the Traveller appeared beside them, whispering into Leroy's ear. "You're the Praetorian," Nicole interrupted, her universal translator working to convert English to Gal Standard. She was now only half-listening to the ambassadorial proceedings. "Sitara the Traveller. Why're you--." Her lips pressed together before she could throw a barrage of questions. Slowly, she extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Nicole Whitfield-Hall and this klutz is Leroy Ransom-Conte." With her free hand, she lightly slapped the prince's shoulder. "And he's so sorry for breaking your ship, right Leroy?"

Nicole "Thanks. Those are exactly my thoughts. Don't think he'd understand or even try to but whatever, that's his problem." Nicole took one last glance back at Guy as she followed Rita out the room. She tried to push the problem scientist from her mind but his points and Rita's quiet acknowledgement captured a string of thought, unraveling it. "And the rest of your team," she asked, careful in breaching the subject. "Do they feel the same way too? That you aren't making progress, dragging your heels because of some dead test animals?" That would have been a problem, instead of just a lone opinion. She'd have to ask the rest of Rita's team what they thought when she got the chance. As odd as it would sound for some, she understood that science without scientists was not possible. The people on the ground were any endeavor's greatest resource but if they weren't motivated, bitter and angsty...

I am up for this with Salvo. Last Claremont Summer alongside Gauss!

Matthias Cooke Wing, Claremont Academy Bayview, Freedom City, New Jersey Thursday, June 20, 2019 12:18:54 PM "... And to my fellow graduates, my most heartfelt gratitude and my congratulations." Applause rippled through the crowd as the Mae Sweet, the valedictorian, stepped down from the podium and then the stage. The sun shone down, bright but not overbearing as rolling clouds softened the afternoon sky. No chance of spring rain today, graduates of the Batch 2019 sat in orderly rows in Claremont Academy's athletic field. They were comfortable in their togas and their mortarboard hats in place, attention rapt from the valedictorian speech. Behind the mass of graduating students sat their parents and families. On one side of the graduation field, Claremont's teaching staff watched the proceedings and across from the students, on the stage, sat the senior staff. Ms. Summers held the position of honor as school principal and she stood as the applause subsided Nicole shut the television off as Summers stepped behind the podium to introduce the guest speaker. Her fingers held the remote in the vice grip as she glowered at the blank television screen. They were alone inside Gabriel Marquez's office, the Head Counselor's office and besides some half-eaten food and barely touched drink it would have seemed that nothing else had been touched, so intent on watching the proceedings as the two students had been. Marquez had been there too. Now neither were present. Nicole saw Corinne's reflection on the screen and without turning to face the other woman, Nicole spoke to her through gritted teeth. "That was supposed to be my graduation." She spoke every word as if they scraped her tongue raw. "But I guess it isn't anymore, huh? I guess this is the last laugh after all these years. Is that the reason you had to make me wreck half the school?" An exaggeration, though Nicole was not in the mood to argue semantics. Still, the dislike between her and Corinne's other half was known through the school, both by teachers and students alike, but rarely did it go past barbed words and one-upmanships. Not until yesterday evening that is, when words turned to blows and a heated rivalry into an all-out brawl between two very powerful and very dangerous teenagers. A testament to the mistakes schools could make, even private ones, to let something fester for so long unattended. Yet here they were again. Unattended. Alone. One could only hope Marquez knew what the hell he was doing.

Nicole It was dark in the room save the red light from the alarms and Nicole sat alone in that room, a table set in front of her. Her laptop sat there, facing her. The klaxons blared throughout the Mojave Installation but it was almost silent where Nicole sat save for the low clicking and beeping from the various machines that filled the room. Nicole had commissioned them from the Installation and Vegas had obliged her. Wires and cords and capacitors ran all across the floor, weaving around until they converged into one and entered Nicole's laptop. Another cable snaked from her laptop to strap around the Horologium. With mundane technology and a little bit of ritual magic she had connected the entire installation to the Horologium. A contest of will between two inanimate objects. In a way, it was exciting to see what would happen. As the seconds ticked by the red light flickered, each time turning the room pitch black. She had most everything she needed save for one whose presence was most valuable, yet even as the battle above continued she waited patiently in her wheelchair. Then with an unseen cue Nicole took a tarot deck from her side and drew a card, sliding it facedown on the table. The lights failed again, sending the room in an all-consuming darkness, and when they powered back Bellios loomed across the table from Nicole. Its visor, mirror-shined to perfection, was impassive as it regarded her, but when Nicole flipped her drawn card, she could see her grin's reflection turn bloody, red from the alarm's light. "The Tower. Quite apropos given the circumstances, wouldn't you say?" She pocketed the remaining cards and raised her hands to her face as her sight left her but Nicole did not fret. She remembered where everything was. Only Bellios' visor glowed a dark red. "Now, let's begin."

Action: Jury-Rigging. 1 HP spent. Comprehend 3 (Horologium; Extras: Linked [Damage]; Flaw: Limited [To Nicole's Laptop], Unreliable) 1PP + Damage 15 (Extras: Linked [Damage], No Saving Throw [+2]; Flaws: Action [1 minute]), Distracting, Limited [Object Connected to Nicole's Laptop], Range [Touch], Uncontrolled); Drawbacks: Full Power, Lethal Only, Noticeable) 0PP* Knowledge (Arcane Lore): 1d20+15 = 34 *Damage PP cost is calculated as 1PP:5 Ranks from Flaws, then 3PP subtracted from Drawbacks for 15 ranks of Damage at 0PP.

Salvo = 5 posts = 5 posts = 1PP Happiness in Slavery (2) The Tale of Two Trees (1) Sky-Pirates (1) Stellar School (1)

Nicole The pressure mounted and her eyes narrowed. "I don't need to justify myself to you." Her teeth grit together as she looked up at Guy. He was a bully but she's had her fair share of experience with bullies and he was not capable of a fraction of the things they could do. "If you have a problem call Freedom City. Maybe they'd even go along with your request but in the meantime I'm here to write my report and my recommendations so I can do my job instead of ranting like a lunatic." With a sigh, her voice softened and she turned to Rita. "And that means letting me see everything you have, even if you think it's not a sight for the faint-hearted."

Nicole Nicole's brows furrowed through Rita's explanation of why it was a bad idea to look at the unlucky mice, and her brows continued to furrow as Rita was interrupted by Guy. Tall and imposing, Nicole could only scowl as the two scientists opened up about their disagreement. Rita would not know about Nicole's work as Salvo and while Freedom City did not harbor the worst of humanity there were still images and events that she wished she could scrub off her mind and forget the exact, messed-up details of. Neither of them were right, she knew, but while she could not tell just why Rita was wrong Guy's grievance was easier to address. "Then maybe he'd be change his mind if I were to back up your assessment," Nicole said to Rita at first but she raised her voice so that Guy could hear. "Let me see them, Rita. I can take it and maybe my report would be taken into consideration. Maybe a third-party observer is what's needed here."

Nicole The implied fate of the unlucky mice was enough to blow the wind from Nicole's sails. She winced, imagining all that could happen when a brainful of nanomachines didn't just quite mesh with your brain right. She'd seen a few disturbing things as Salvo, mostly here in Emerald City, and she could have spiraled down from there if it wasn't for the breathing techniques she had learned from her therapist. She turned her head away from Rita to hide the look on her face, and after a while she looked back at the doctor. "Then I can understand the need for all this testing. We've got to identify and fix whatever caused the procedure to go wrong." She rubbed the nape of her neck in thought, brows furrowed. "I'm not going to like this but I should look at what happened to the... unlucky mice. Records or-- or the samples, whatever's left."

Nicole "The lucky ones." Nicole mimicked, putting Jerry back in its cage where the mouse scurried away to munch on its food. She stared hard at Rita. "You make it sound so ominous for the ones who weren't lucky." Then she chuckled, dispelling the fake tension, and turned on her seat to look at the group of large containers at the end of the room. The wheels of her wheelchair started as she pushed the joystick forward. She was intent in her goal, in learning where each piece of equipment or mouse fell into the puzzle, that her mind discarded many things that were unimportant to her goal. The world might as well have been just her, Rita, and where she put her mind into now. "And this looks like the pièce de résistance." She peered closer, trying to get a good look inside. "Big and demanding attention like the centerpiece of an art gallery. Are the nanomachines stored in here?"

Nicole "Awww. He's so cute! And smart!" Nicole couldn't help but coo as the mouse handled the screwdriver and when it was done, she reached out and stroked its fur. The mouse warmed up to her and she gently took it in one hand while the other continued to stroke it. "Increased cognitive functions." Nicole shook her head as if trying to take process the further implications. Her eyes were wide as she looked up to Rita. "A side-effect of your treatment or was it intended from the start? This is starting to sound more and more like the holy grail of medicine." Jerry still snuggled between her hands, Nicole raised the mouse to eye level. "You'd be a super mouse if this was just a fluke but this isn't, is it? Maybe one day this treatment would be found from the Saharan to Freedom City."

Notice: 1d20+3 = 14

Knowledge (Arcane Lore): 1d20+15 = 33 Knowledge (Technology): 1d20+15 = 15 Once again Nicole kills it with these rolls.