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Dr Archeville

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  1. Artificer Heroditus' head tilted at the technician's announcement, "a pursuer? Do they have any weapons charged?" Of course he is 'good friends' with a dragon, that is likely where he learned his geomantic abilities. He nodded at Gaian Knight's words, "I... had not considered that angle." He gave GK a slight bow, a sign of contrition. "Yes, of course Earth is but one island in a vast ocean of stars, and so we must move with care." "I would hope," he replied to Ghost, "that if these Praetorians are a... galactic Freedom League, then they would be open with us as to what is happening. Which they seem intent on doing, once they reach us." Studying the monitors, and addressing no one in general, "so, does it seem more like the Praetorians are pursuing the first one, or... escorting it?"
  2. Doktor Archeville He looked to Starshot, one eyebrow raised, "a promising start, yes? However, I am reminded of the Russian proverb 'doveryay, no proveryay,' or 'trust, but verify'" Then, back to the new Khan, "in that case, we would be honored to have your assistance! If you can home in on this signal, we -- that is, my associate and I -- can join you, and we can see what can learn about the Sarcota who have settled in here, and how to gently nudge them away." Back to Starshot, "I'd like to contact CoVic Station and get some verification on what he's said, preferably in a way that Kinarr won't immediately notice. I can manage that," he waggled his (fake) electromagnetic screwdriver, "but it will be easier for me to do if I'm not also engaged with him. Would you mind escorting him for a bit?"
  3. Dok's Diplomacy check is... 26! (almost got a Nat 20 on the roll!)
  4. Doktor Archeville ... sure, why not. "I've not had the chance yet to meet this Khan in person," he replied to Starshot, "but I have heard of him. His father Kinan built and ruled the Stellar Khanate, but was grievously injured during by Communion forces during The Incursion." Memories of his own encounters with Communion drones on distant worlds, always trying to stay one step ahead lest they assimilate him and his vast knowledge -- and regrets at focusing on personal evasion and defense, rather than assisting in the offensive efforts -- flashed through his mind. "Rumor is Kinan had recently succumbed to those injuries, and now Kinarr, his youngest -- and only surviving -- son is looking to put himself onto his father's throne. But what sort of Khan will this one be, diplomat or warlord, is an open question." He looked to the sky again, "might as well try opening with diplomacy," and beamed out another message. "Khan Kinarr, Son of Kinan, you honor and humble us with your presence. I am Herr Doktor Viktor Archeville, of Terra, brought in by Lor corporate interests to see to these legendary creatures and the unfortunate circumstance in which they find themselves. We would of course welcome any assistance you might bring, knowledge and expertise from your vast star-spanning Khanate, but surely there are more pressing matters which require your attention, yes? Ferrum's supply of power cells is an important matter, certainly, but one which you need not involve yourself personally."
  5. Artificer Okay, okay, if it comes to it, my devices can provide me with water to breathe, and I can manage the cold of space on my own. But I have not yet sorted the issues with the vacuum seals, so that would still bean issue. If I- no, focus on what is happening now. "I would rather not meet what might be friendly curiosity with naked aggression," he replied to Ghost, "and diplomacy is always preferable to battle. On the other hand," he pivoted to Velocity and Gaian Knight, "we must also show that were are not a defenseless clam waiting to be shucked. I would suggest a small force go out to meet this vessel, a group focused on precision rather than power, to attempt to establish contact and divine their intent. Meanwhile, those who remain behind focus on shoring up defenses, just in case. Also, the Freedom Hall should be alerted, if the Lighthouse has not automatically done so, so they can begin preparations."
  6. Knowledge (Galactic Lore) check is... 31!
  7. Doktor Archeville Viktor winced as the alarms blared directly through his head, I really should've anticipated that, and shut down the cyberpathic link between the Xeno and himself. "I'm not expecting a third to come aid us," he said as he began scanning the skies, "are you? Or could this be someone taking advantage of the unusually high concentration of Sarcota to snag a trophy for themselves? I suppose it's too much to hope," he passed one hand over his (fake) gravimetric belt, and a bubble of softly glowing blue light sprang up around him, "that it's another astrobiologist, come to independently study this unprecendent phenomenon?" He continued scanning the skies where the Xeno's sensors had indicated the bogey was, and cyberpathically sent out a broad spectrum radio greeting, in GalStandard. "Unknown flier, please beware, this is a hazardous area. We are here on a mission of astrobiological conservation and infrastructure maintenance. Please identify yourself."
  8. Doktor Archeville Viktor sucked his teeth, "you're not wrong on that, unfortunately. So the question is, do we got for speed, or stealth? Your ATV would get us across the terrain quicker than we could manage on foot -- and would be more fun!," he grinned, "but its stealth capabilities are nonexistent. I'm sure you can sneak and stalk with the best of them, and I have a few tricks of my own... oh!" The doktor had a wild gleam in his eyes, "if we assume that Sarcota spend a majority of their life in the vacuum of space, then they likely never developed auditory senses in the process of their evolution. Or if their ancestors did have it, the sense atropied, like with blind cave fish. Which means we wouldn't need to worry as much about muffling our sounds, but would need to focus on masking our visual and other energetic signals," he held up his (fake) Electromagnetic Screwdriver, "which this little wissenstab can do!" To illustrate, he entered a few command on the devie, and slowly faded from view. A few moments later, he faded back into view, "I should be able to adjust the field to cover your entire ATV, and the two of us, as long as we don't get too far apart."
  9. Artificer Twenty five thousand... what?! "Yes, yes, oh, of course," he nodded absently at Velocity, processing the distances she had so casually mentioned, "your just because you can exceed those spaceplanes -- exceed all vehicles -- in one area does not mean they are useless to you. Machines can help us in many ways." Once they'd reached the command center, many things vied for the Heroditus' attention. There was the view, of course, hinted at by the hangar but now a full panaroama. Then there were the workstations, displaying station life support, communications, sensor logs, and more. And then there was Gaian Knight. The Earth-Shaper! He is the last one I would expect to see up here. He gave GK a bow and salute, and returned his grin, "I imagine the Lighthouse hosts beings from a variety of different environments. Providing habitable areas for all of them -- much less comfortable ones -- must prove quite the challenge."
  10. 2023 December 14th When I had left Earth on 2019 November 26th, I'd planned to return after about five years, mid-December of 2024. My unexpected return, a year early, has been... well, unexpected. But, one must roll with the punches, and work with what one has. I'm sure people will have questions about what I've seen and done, and I had always intended to share all I had experienced once I'd returned. But with most of my research notes and sensor logs left on my ship -- which is still (I hope!) on that distant Lor colony world -- making a full presentation will not be possible. There's much I can share, of course, my memory is as prodigious as ever, but it won't be up to my preferred level of detail. I suppose I can start with my ship itself. The Synthia Bower started as a Freedom League Pegasus-class space plane, which I modified heavily to support a smaller crew for a prolonged period of time, and to have improved sensors and defensive capabilities. After numerous encounters with a variety of aliens, taking inspiration from many (and in some cases actually integrrating extraterrestrial technology into my ship), my Synthia is now in a class of her own. (Yes, I had fought the traiditon of anthropomorphizing ships and other vessels by referring to them as "she/her," but some traditions refuse to be ignored.) One of the most immediately noticeable changes is her speed. Before, she'd had a maximum atmospheric operating limit speed (VMAO) of 8,046 kph (Mach 6.5, or 5,000 mph), which was actually not enough to achieve escape velocity from Earth – I had to redline the engines with every trip out of the atmosphere! Now, after making improvements to both the engines and the structural integrity field, her VMAO is 402,300 kph (Mach 325.9, or 250,000 mph) – fast enough not only to comfortably exit Earth’s gravity well, but to escape that of Jupiter! Her interstellar speeds have been greatly increased, too. Before, it would take about two months to get from star to (close!) star, but now, such a trip takes about four days. Sensor range and speed has been greatly enhanced. A full active planetary (atmospheric/biological/electromagnetic/geologic) scan can be run in under 10 minutes, and a passive scan of an entire star system -- enough to detect the major points of interest, and (most) potential threats -- can be run in about 30 minutes. The energy systems received a complete overhaul, incorporating Lor gravity crystals to harness a microsingularity, a Grue-inspired bioreactor, and a few other things. The matter-energy converters work better than ever, as do the holographic systems -- a realistic hologram, with radio and visual components, up to one mile in diameter can be generated! Weapons and other energy projetion systems have had their range and accuracy improved; range is still far short of being able to hit planetary targets even from low orbit, but sufficient for most space combats. The EMP blasters have proven ineffective against a variety of ships: conventional EMP shielding is rarely enough to stop their effect, but ships which don't use electronic circuits at all, such as Grue bioships or spacecraft using optical/photonic chips (as well as 'magic' and psionic vessels), are wholly immune. Fortunately, the EM sensor flashers/overloaders are often still effective against such targets, as are the surveying & prospecting lasers. I've also added a gravitic/magnetic tractor beam, for nudging asteroids and towing stranded ships. I also finally got around to adding a teleporter. I'd held off on that since I have my own personal teleportation systems, but some redundancy never hurts. Besides, most people expect a spaceship to have a transporter! The system is mostly a larger version of my own wormhole-based teleportation system, with a few minor augmentations. (I'm still unsure on how the 'alien Santa' transported me back to Earth. Nor how -- or even if -- I will be recalled to that Lor colony, and to my ship. If nothing else, I can get back there the long way, but that would require borrowing, or building, another spaceship!)
  11. Doktor Archeville "Well, what are the odds there'd be two different spaceborne megafauna coming to this mountain range?," he called back from the observation station he'd set up, with an uneasy chuckle. I hope I didn't just jinx us... He hadn't made any real alterations to the Xeno's sensors, since he wasn't sure what to alter the sensors to look for, but he had, with Oskar's permission, set up a tap to stream all the sensor feeds directly to his Electromagnetic Screwdriver, displayed on a series of holographic screens, which would make it easier for him to collate and examine the readings. Well, it was actually streaming directly to his technorganic brain, but he was still going with the "I'm just a human scientist with some fancy gear" image. It was a fascinating sensation, one he imagined as similar to when a telepath accessed another person's mind to see or hear through their senses. He could easily get lost in such datastreams, but the relatively narrow focus of this data-dive carried little risk of such distraction. Having someone nearby to talk with helped, too. "I'd considered the infection angle," he said after doing some quick scan of the mountains, "but the problem with that is, we don't really know what a baseline, healthy Sarcota looks like, so we'd have nothing to compare these scans to. If we don't know what a standard Sarcotan body temperature is, how can we tell if one has a fever from fighting off an infection? If one has flaking, scaly patches all over their skin, but the other is smooth and slimy, which is the sign of illness? Are the flaking scales a sign of healthy molting, or of dehydration? Is the slime an overproduction of mucus, blocking pathogens from entering the skin, or is it a part of their photosynthesizing process? No," he shook his head, "I'm afriad we are going to have to settle in for a bit and observe."
  12. Horrorshow "Must be all those actors I've been dealing with," he replied, matching her smirk, "rubbing off on me. Then again, when you can bend as much as I do, you're bound to become a bit... arch," he winked. As soon as the trio had seen their first Shambalan, a part of Davyd's mind had been reaching out. Just as his body sometimes shifted unconsciously to imitate aspects of people with whom he'd interacted, his mind often reached out telepathically. Not enough to read even a person's topmost surface thoughts, but just enough to glean the intent behind any words they were speaking. He had been training to get that under a more conscious control, much like with his physical transformations, as sometimes speaking a stranger's language could cause more issues than not being able to speak it. But now, he needed that connection, so he allowed his mind to reach out so he could immerse himself in the Shambalan language. Of course, Veronica's mojo had been a big help, both for getting the translations and in serving as a cover for his own abilities. (Especially useful given how distracting Lulu's arm around his waist was!) He gave a small bow to the 'lead' monk, "you have a lovely home here."
  13. Artificer 8 posts +2 from Dok = 10 posts = +2pp Holiday Cheer (0) The Kids are Alright (0) Survival Class: Prussian Blue (0) Written in the Stars (8) Horrorshow 1 post +9 from Dok = 10 posts = +2pp, +1 [Mod] = +3pp Blue Monday (0) Dakar Rally (0) Eurotrip: The Rhythm of the Rails (0) Holiday Cheer (0) Is Potato (Pancakes) (0) Patriot Games (0) Test Your Might (1) Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright (0) --Titanium Characters-- Dead Head 0 posts Bedlam in Bedlam: Let Him In (0) Doktor Archeville 2+1+14 = 17 posts -- 2 to Artificer, 9 to Horrorshow, 6 to THE VOID Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow (2) Holiday Cheer (0) News (1) Shoaling Patterns (14) Protectron 0 posts Holiday Cheer (0) --Other-- Mod point, to Horrorshow
  14. Artificer On the ride up, Heroditus had kept one pam and one ear pressed to the walls, attempting to listen to the mechanisms, and at one point pulled his goggles down over his eyes and fiddled ith the straps by his ears. "They're surprisingly quiet!," he said at last, "across all frequencies! I can detect some humming in the infrasonic and ultrasonic ranges, but not as much as I'd expected!" When Velocity pointed to the hangar opening, Heroditus clapped and let out a squeal, then quickly covered his mouth as he realized he'd made such an un-Atlantean display of emotion. "Ah, we have similar 'waterlock' fields in Atlantis! Though most of ours are smaller, only wide enough for three or four people standing abreast. But they also deal with much larger pressure differentials, so I imagine the power requirements would be equally big." His gaze then shifted to the spaceplanes, and he murmured a bit about their sleek designs, when he caught snippets of Velocity's & Ghost's exchange. "Ah, lucky you!," he cheered Ghost, "to be able to pilot such magnificent vehicles!"
  15. EVOLVED by Fox Horrorshow has 12 points unspent! Let’s see if I can spend them. Also, I was recently reminded of our guidelines re: Saving Throws and on Impervious Toughness, so I’ve got to tweak those a bit. And I think I’ve found a satisfactory way to do so. Abilities +2 Dex (to 14/+4), -4 to Con (to 26/+8 / 18/+4), +2 Wis (to 18/+4) [net cost unchanged] Strength: 26/20/14 (+8/+5/+2), STR 41 for lifting in “Chitinous Horror” form Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 26/18 (+8/+4) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 28/18 (+9/+4) Combat Due to alterations to his Impervious Toughness, Knockback will be getting altered slightly [net cost unchanged] Knockback: -9 vs. Physical & -5 vs. Energy in “Chitinous Horror” form (-8 / -4 if flat-footed); -7 vs. Physical & -5 vs. Energy if Morphed or in "Amorphous Horror" form ( -6 / -4 if flat-footed) Saving Throws Reducing Reflex and Will both by 3 points. [frees up 6 points] Toughness: +10 (+8/+4 Con, +2 Defensive Roll; Impervious 8 vs. Physical in "Chitinous Horror" form, Imp 4 vs. Physical if Morphed or in “Amorphous Horror” form), +8 when flat-footed Fortitude: +8 (+8/+4 Con, +0) Reflex: +8 (+4 Dex, +0; +4 Enhanced) Will: +8 (+4 Wis, +0; +4 Enhanced) Skills Adding 24 ranks of skills [costs 6 points] +4r in Acrobatics, +4r in Concentration, +5r in Knowledge (Life Science), +3r in Perform (Acting), +4r in Stealth, and +4r in Survival This, combined with changes to Dexterity and Wisdom, means his skills now look like this: Acrobatics 11 (+15) SM Bluff 11 (+15, +20 w/ Enhanced CHA; +10 more to imitate sounds when Shapechanged) SM [D,F,T] Concentration 11 (+15) 2nd Chance Diplomacy 11 (+15, +20 w/ Enhanced CHA) SM [Fascinate] Disguise 11 (+15, +20 w/ Enhanced CHA; +30 more w/ Morph, +10 more w/ Shapeshifting) Gather Information 11 (+15, +20 w/ Enhanced CHA) SM, Well-Informed Intimidate 11 (+15, +20 w/ Enhanced CHA) SM, Startle Knowledge (Current Events) 9 (+10) Knowledge (Life Science) 9 (+10) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 9 (+10) Language 3 (English, GalStandard, Russian, Ukrainian [native]) Notice 11 (+15) SM Perform (Acting) 5 (+9, +14 w/ Enhanced CHA; +10 more to imitate sounds when Shapechanged) Sense Motive 11 (+15) SM Stealth 11 (+15) HiPS, SM Survival 11 (+15) Feats Add Defensive Roll, Improved Grab, Improved Throw, Jack-of-All-Trades, and Second Chance (Concentration checks). [costs 5 points] Powers Adding some, altering others. [net cost of 4 points] ADD a Comprehend power [costs 2 points] Comprehend 1 (languages [speak any one at a time]) [2PP] CHANGE Grue-some Awareness [net cost unchanged] Grue-some Awareness 4 (8 points; PF: Alternate Power) [9PP] BE: Comprehend 4 (animals 2, languages 2 [to languages 3; speak all at once, understand all]) {8/8} AP: Mind Reading 10 (Extra: Sensory Link; Flaws: Range 2 [Touch]; PFs: Insidious, Subtle) {7/8} ADD Impervious Toughness [costs 2 points] Impervious Toughness 4 (”Grue-some Resilience”; Flaw: Limited [Only vs. Physical]) [2PP] CHANGE Metamorph/Chitinous Horror form [net cost unchanged] Reduce Impervious Toughness from 10 to 4 (frees up 3 points for that slot) Total cost 9 points TOTALS Abilities (38) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (0) + Skills (39) + Feats (33) + Powers (115) - Drawbacks (3) = 238/241 Power Points [3pp under] Combat By Form When using Chitinous Horror Form: Attack +10 melee, +4 ranged Strikes +10 (crit 18-20) Grapple +21 Defense +10 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback -9 vs. physical, -5 vs. energy; -8 / -4 flat-footed Toughness +10 (+8 flat-footed; Imp 8 vs. Physical) Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +8 Lifting STR 41 (light load 2,448 lbs. [1.224 tons], medium load 4,896 lbs. [2.448 tons], heavy load 7,360 lbs. [3.68 tons], maximum load 14,720 lbs. [7.36 tons], push/drag 36,800 lbs. [18.4 tons]) [PL 10 offense, PL 10 defense] When using Amorphous Horror Form: Attack +10 melee, +4 ranged Strikes +10 Grapple +21 Defense +10 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback -7 vs. physical, -5 vs. energy; -6 / -4 flat-footed Toughness +10 (+8 flat-footed; Imp 4 vs. Physical) Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +8 Lifting STR 20 (light load 133 lbs., medium load 266 lbs., heavy load 400 lbs., maximum load 800 lbs., push/drag 1 ton) [PL 10 offense, PL 10 defense] When Morphed: Attack +10 melee, +4 ranged Grapple +15 Unarmed Strike +5 Defense +10 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback -7 vs. physical, -5 vs. energy; -6 / -4 flat-footed Toughness +10 (+8 flat-footed; Imp 4 vs. Physical) Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +8 Lifting STR 20 (light load 133 lbs., medium load 266 lbs., heavy load 400 lbs., maximum load 800 lbs., push/drag 1 ton) [PL 7.5 offense, PL 10 defense] When Powerless: Attack +10 melee, +4 ranged Grapple +12 Unarmed Strike +2 Defense +6 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback -3, -2 flat-footed Toughness +6 (+4 flat-footed) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4 Lifting STR 14 (light load 58 lbs., medium load 116 lbs., heavy load 175 lbs., maximum load 350 lbs., push/drag 875 lbs.). [PL 6 offense, PL 6 defense]
  16. In order to make sure the Refs accurately count all your IC posts and award you the due amount of power points, please post with a list of all the threads in which your player character, NPC or sidekick posted IC this month (including the News forum). Also list any threads which you are GMing. GM posts count as double and can be assigned to whichever of your characters needs a 'push'. This topic will automatically close on the seventh day of the following month (i.e., March 7th, 2024 at Midnight EST). When you make your list, post a link to your first post for the month for each IC thread so we can jump right to it. When you start a thread, make sure IC is the first tag and topic prefix of the In Character thread, and OOC is in the first tag and topic prefix of the Out Of Character thread. It's not required, but additional tags including the major players and locations are viewed as a courtesy. Please list your threads in alphabetical order. Please clearly note any threads in which you are both player and GM/running an NPC. In threads where you are both player and GM/an NPC, please be sure to mark each post so we can tell who it should be allocated to. Please list your threads in a timely manner. Extending the deadline one week into the following month is already a grace period. If you've done any "extracurriculars" -- artwork, HellQ, 20 Questions, NPC, vignettes, guidebook pages, etc. -- please be sure to list them along with your active threads. For more information on ways to earn power points, see Character Advancement and Awards in the House Rules section of the Guide. Post counts should be formatted similar to the following: To make clear how many posts from rollover and GM posts are assigned to each character. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in having your shadow stolen by Punxsutawney Phil our post counts being postponed or skipped completely. If you missed the deadline, see this thread.
  17. Artificer "X-ray... oh! Those must be very useful for when you go through things!" He tapped his own goggles, "sonar. Very useful back home, but also surprisingly useful up here." As their hostess explained the next part of their tour, Heroditus began to raise his hand and say that, yes, he would like to see the advanced food preparation equipment. Most Atlantean foods were served simply, raw and unseasoned, save for special occasions, when air-filled chambers were used to cook and season dishes. In his time at Claremont, he had become rather fascinated with the incredible depth and breadth of Surfacer cuisine. (The "freshman fifteen" had hit him particularly hard!) But he got the sense that Ghost would not be interested in such things, and that Velocity had a certain schedule, which his many questions with the infirmary staff had likely skewed! Also, he really wanted to see the artificial gravity system. So instead, he simply turned his heads towards the elevator, "do those operate like traditional elevators, with pulleys and counterweights? Or something more advanced, such as direct gravitational alteration?"
  18. The rules on Extended Searches (as found under the description of the Search skill in the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed. core rulebook) have always been a weird case -- they go by the diameter of the area being searched, not the, y'know, area -- I thought it might be useful to add some notes/tips to our Guidebook. (Especially if we're going to be doing more stuff in SPAAACE, and scanning planets.) Probably put this on the Skills page. Maybe something like.... Search: Remember that, when doing an Extended Search, the time is based on the approximate diameter of the area being searched. Steps Diameter Examples Time 0 5 feet 1 round 1 10 feet 1 minute 2 100 feet 5 minutes 3 1,000 feet 20 minutes 4 1 mile ~500 acres or ~200 hectares 1 hour 5 5 miles 5 hours 6 20 miles Freedom City (approx. 15 x 25 miles) 1 day 7 200 miles 1 week 8 2,000 miles Ceres (0.6k miles diameter), Eris (1.4k mi.), Pluto (1.5k mi.) 1 month 9 20,000 miles Earth (8k miles diameter), Mars (4k mi.), Moon (2.1k mi.), Venus (8k mi.) 3 months 10 200,000 miles Jupiter (87k miles), Neptune (31k mi.), Saturn (72k mi.), Uranus (32k mi.) 1 year 11 2 million miles The Sun (865k miles) 5 years 12 20 million miles 10 years 13 200 million miles [2.1 au] 50 years 14 2 billion miles 100 years 15 “Same solar system” Sol System (out to Neptune, 6.64 billion miles / 30 au) 500 years 16 “Nearby star systems” Proxima Centauri (4.2 ly from Earth) 1,000 years 17 “Distant star systems” 5,000 years 18 “Same galaxy” The Milky Way (105k ly diameter) 10,000 years 19 “Nearby galaxies” The Andromeda Galaxy (2,500,000,000 ly from Earth, and 152k ly in diameter) 50,000 years 20 “Anywhere in the universe” The observable universe is ~93,000,000,000 ly in diameter. 100,000 years Thus, performing an extended search of all of Freedom City would take 1 day (which can be reduced by Quickness or Rapid ESP/Super-Senses), while doing an extended search of the Earth would take 3 months (or about 1 hour with Quickness 10 [x2,500], or 3 seconds with Quickness 20 [x5,000,000]). ------ M&M 3E changed the Extended Search guidelines so it does go by area. Would we want to consider doing that? If so, doing an extended search of Freedom City (with an area of about 375 square miles) would take 1 month, while doing an extended search of the Earth (total surface area of ~197,000,000 square miles) would take 50 years (or about 1 week with Quickness 10 [x2,500], 2 days with Quicknes 12 [x10,000] or with Rapid 4 on ESP, or ~5 minutes with Quickness 20). A longer time, but it would add some consistency to the rules. (Not as long as the ctual rules in M&M 3E. Per those rules, doing an extended search of the Earth would take 50,000 years!)
  19. Artificer As they headed for the Infirmary, Artificer looked to Ghost, "those gogges, they're not just to protect your eyes, are they?" He tapped the purple- and green-lensed goggles resting atop his forehead, "I made these myself. Did you make yours?" Velocity's introduction in the medbay was met with great enthusiasm on Heroditus' part. "Off-Worlder technology?!," Artificer exclaimed. "I thought this facility used only advanced Surfacer technology? Are there any pieces which I might examine?" He began looking to the various technicians, "in what ways does this 'Lore Republic' technology differ from yours? What similarities are there? Has there been much difficulty integrating their equipment into your facilities?" "My, you are a curious one!," a middle aged man replied, with a hint of Georgian drawl. He flashed Velocity a smile and wink from his baby blue eyes, then turned back to Heroditus, "I'm just an old country doctor, so I don't know much about the finer details of how all their technology works, but I do know they use a lot of crystals." At this, Heroditus perked up even more, "ah, I have some familiarity with those!" The technician had picked up a small device, looking something like a Y-shaped metal wand with numerous controls along one side, and the inside of the two arms lined with blue crystal. "This little gadget can heal minor wounds in soft tissues, cuts and abrasions and so on. Useful for all manner of everyday injuries, but also good for sealing up surgical openings, without needing stitches or staples. And this one," he indicated another small device, "can be used on hard tissues, bones and so on. Now, over here..." The two continued on for some time.
  20. I agree, I believe this is a fine time for a SCENE TRANSITION!
  21. Doktor Archeville "A fine ship indeed, sir!," Archeville exclaimed at the end of his tour, "all elegantly tied together. I was especially impressed by your communications suite," he nodded. "And I was not expecting such luxurious living quarters! Though I'm sure the clients who hire you to take them on safari expect the best. That's why some aspects of the ship's functions are so intuitive, while others are more concealed, away from client's prying fingers, yes?" Archeville's senses, and his own knowledge of spaceship design, revealed more than Starshot was showing, and he sincerely was impressed by the vessel. It had even given him a few ideas for improvements to his own. "But this is no pleasure cruise, we are here to work, with much at stake!" He started off towards the cargo hold, calling behind him as he went, "we should get underway, before the suns rise and the surface becomes unbearably hot."
  22. Artificer Heroditus was still going over the final bit of the conversation he'd had with the teleporter technician down in the Hall ("So, how do these 'Heisenberg Compensators work?" "They work quite well, sir."), unsure if there had been a translation error or something else. Surfacer technology and Atlantean technologies had developed along such radically different paths over the millennia that each was little understood by the other, a gap he had been trying to bridge for some years. But the technology used in the Lighthouse, the Freedom League's satellite headquarters, was so much more advanced, surely a study of it could advance his understanding of Surfacer technology by leaps and bounds. Velocity's and Ghost's words finally reached his brain, "hrm? Oh, ah, I would like to start at the Infirmary, actually. My mother is a biomedical engineer, and I am sure she would like to hear about advanced Surfacer healing arts. And then work out way up? Yes, I think that would be most efficient."
  23. Doktor Archeville Archeville smiled at Alpha as he took the offered champagne. "Ah, I've had similar in some of my homes, and on my ship" he replied to his host, "though most of mine had chassis based on insects. Beetles, mostly." He looked the robot over, "I may be able to help with the cooking thing, if you're interested. All the necessary hardware seems to be present, it would be more a matter of software." To Alpha, he sent a silent cyberkinetic message of thanks for the drink, a more formal introduction, and a request for the bot's designation. "Before we see to the galley, though, I think I should have a look at what sort of laboratory and workshop facilities you can provide. I may need to make some adjustments to your ship's sensors, or fabricate something from scratch." At the mention of the infirmary, he glanced back at Alpha, then back to Starshot, "ah, do they help there, too? That could make the culinary programming go quicker, if they already have files on anatomy and organic chemistry."
  24. Doktor Archeville He jumped back a bit again as another Interceptor appeared, "Grimalkin! That... that's exceedingly kind of you to offer." He bowed his head to her in thanks. And then there was Erik. "I..." he began, eyes flicking for a microsecond to the two fingers of Jack's hand which were implying less one of his namesake weapons and more the barrel of a gun. Ah. "I do not wish to reply too quickly, for fear of being thought flippant, or that I had rehearsed this. Though, to be honest," he tilted his head very slightly, but still kept his eyes locked on Jack's, "I have run scenarios like this thousands of times, trying to figure out how best I can make amends, to whatever extent I can make amends." "Before I left," he began "I received clean bills of health from Miss Americana, Phantom, and Scarab. No lingering corruption, no dormant entities stitched to my... soul. I am the first 100% human Archeville to walk the Earth in over 600 years. Well," he glanced down at his synthoflesh-covered hand, "was 100% human." (Archeville had made sure all the Interceptors had received word of his "reformatting" as soon as he had recovered from it, though whether or not Erik had ever actually read the memo was another matter.) "My PTSD has improved. The nightmares are not as bad, nor as frequent. I cannot say if I am good, but I can say I am trying to do good."
  25. Doktor Archeville Archeville's eyes widened at Oskar's words, and he slapped his forehead with the data pad, "oh, of course! On Terra, the level of consciousness and awareness, of sapience, of cetaceans and other non-human animals is a matter of no small debate, so why would that not also be the case with the Sarcota? Even if some skewed instinct brought them here, instinct may not be all that guides them! If we can find a way to communicate with them, and simply ask them to move..." His mind raced through possibilities, articles he'd read on animal intelligence and nonhuman communication, until he forced himself to stop and return to the more immediate tasks at hand. "Yes," he nodded to the Lor representatives, handing the data pad back to K'tr'kt, then back to Oskar, "I think it would be best if you gave me that tour now, and I shall see what I can do with the contents of your cargo bay as you fly us to the mountain." He thought briefly of his own ship, the Synthia Bower, but quickly pushed the thoughts aside. Best to focus on what is here, now.
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