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A meeting at the Library (IC)


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The library was always so quiet. It was a fry cry different than the chaos of a battlefield, and for that Vivian was thankful. She stood in the stacks, organizing a set of books when she realized that someone had put an entire shelf up backwards. "Oh come on, don't they pay any attention?" She quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching and she lifted the entire rack at once, flipped it over, and set it back down. "Much better!" She quietly exclaimed, dusting her hands off.

"Now that that's done with, maybe I can actually get some reading done." Vivian tucked a large leather book under her arm and returned to her desk at the front of the library. Smoothing out her skirt as she sat in her chair, she leaned over her desk and began to read The Lord of the Rings.

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What Gigawatt wouldn't do to be able to read all these books. He spent a lot of time when he was a student in the library, research for this paper, or just a little time reading an old favorite. He couldn't do that anymore, which was too bad. There was a price for all things, and he supposed flight could be balanced with this. Still, there were ways around such drawbacks. His ability to float in the air gave him such a way.

He was currently reading over the shoulder of one of the librarians. The Lord of the Rings, if he wasn't mistaken. "It's always one I've read before." He mumbled aloud, trying to pace his reading with hers. "No one reads anything new anymore."

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At first, Vivian didn't bother to turn around, she decided to finish her sentence first. "That's because I...Eek!" When she finally did see who was 'standing' behind her she gave a start. It was a being of pure energy it seemed. "Holy Cra--oop!" she exclaimed, managing to clamp her hand over her mouth in time to stifle the curse. She looked around, uneasily, suddenly remembering the library was no place to scream like that.

Vivian placed a bookmark in the novel and shut it. She turned in her chair to face the floating energy being, and placed her hands on her hips. She sat sideways on her seat with her legs together underneath her pink ruffled skirt. She also wore a spaghetti strap tank top due to the heat. A golden chain and what looked like a large bluish pearl hung from around her neck. Throwing her long ponytail over one shoulder, she asked, "Dark Star, what are you doing here?" In a hoarse whisper, gazing up inquisitively at the floating hero whom she had just mistaken the identity of.

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"Dark Star, what are you doing here?"

Gigawatt couldn't help but smile. He hadn't encountered someone who would mistake him for someone else. It was a rather unique experience that he'd remember for some time. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you have me confused with someone else. You can call me Gigawatt." He took a little bow, and placed himself a few inches above the floor. He didn't react well with carpeting. The last thing he needed was to start leaving little burns on the floor.

"I apologise for interrupting you like I did. I don't get many opportunities to read, thanks to...my condition. I must say, you don't seem too shocked at finding someone like myself. You even confused me with Darkstar, I believe you said. If I may be so bold, how are you acquainted with this fellow?"

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"Ma'am?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows. "Please. I'm not that old." She swiveled her chair so that she was facing the energy being. "And after living in Freedom City for six years, trust me, you see weirder things." She waved away the question, and leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms.

"So, what brings you to the library? I don't suppose you'll be wanting a library card, will you?"

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"So, what brings you to the library? I don't suppose you'll be wanting a library card, will you?"

Gigawatt chuckled. "No, a library card isn't quite what I am looking for. I'm not capable of holding physical objects, and when I try, it leaves nasty burns. Rather distressing that. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here, like most others, to read. However, do to the aforementioned limitation, I read...second hand." He took a quick look at the woman in front of him.

"It was rather rude of me, I admit, but what's a fellow to do. I don't think I caught your name, Ms...?

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"Kriger," She said happily, half extending her hand for a handshake, before Gigawatt's words rang through her head again. Her smile faded somewhat as she stared dumbly at her hand. "Sorry. Force of habit." she said, dejectedly.

"Actually, just call me Vivian." She stood up from her chair, pushing her book into a small cubby where some of her personal things were kept. "So, Gigawatt, What can I help you with today? Is there any particular book you would like?" Vivian clasped her hand behind her back and smiled at the super hero floating in front of her. She was so eager to actually do something exciting at her job that she actually balanced on the balls of her toes briefly as she waited for an answer.

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Gigawatt put on a big smile. "You know, Vivian, while I appreciate your offer, I was looking more to occupy myself more than anything else. There doesn't seem to be much need for my services, and relaxation is so very crucial. Perhaps conversation would be better though. You appear to be intelligent, and I don't think you'd be working at a library unless you'd have some schooling, so perhaps you will do me the favor of speaking with me."

Gigawatt hoped that conversation would be on the menu. Too often his only human contact had was"save us" and "thank you." Stimulating conversation would be a welcome diversion from that.

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Vivian smiled, and held up a hand in protest. "Sorry, but I don't date Beings-of-pure-energy."

She smirked, "Of course, Gigawatt. I'd be happy to talk with you. What's on your mind?" She sat back down in her chair, and smoothed out her skirt again. "I'd offer you a chair, but you probably wouldn't sit." Her voice trailed off, unsure of where to go from there.

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Gigawatt tought for a moment, wondering where to pick up this little conversation. He decided to focus on her knowledge of other supers, if possible. He didn't know any of them himself, and it was always good to know more about the people you 'worked with.'

"You mentioned someone named "Dark Star." I can assume that this person is in some way like myself. Have you seen this person before?" He was curious about her first reaction. Seeing a blue floating thing behind you didn't usually warrant an assumption of identity unless there was familiarity. Perhaps he was mistaken though. 'Good of her to speak with me,' he thought. 'I'm surprised she didn't say she was busy, and get back to her book.'

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"You're telling me you haven't turned on the news in the last, well, forever?" She asked, dumbfounded. Is this guy from another plane....Wait, yea, that's totally possible.

"Dark Star is made of energy, like you. Come to think of it, he's more of a black color, though. But seriously, he's always all over the news, saving people. He's practically Freedom League material." Vivian shrugged, "Where are you from, anyway?"

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"I have been in Freedom for most of my life, but a mixture of my own disinterest in current event when I was a kid along with a lot of research and study as a student left me largely ignorant of the popular supers. Now that i find myself in this position, I find it useful to know about my...colleagues." He planned on being honest with Vivian. He didn't have too much to hide, and she seemed to take things with enough salt that whatever lie he could come up with would be largely obvious.

"How long have you been in Freedom, then?"

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"About six years," Vivian answered. "I moved here after I graduated Harvard to get my Masters in History. It's been slow going," she shrugged, "But I'm getting through it."

"You know, I think Freedom Hall gives free tours. You ever been on one of those? Could be some useful info."

His whole life? I call bull.

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"I have not, but it's of no concern. I'll figure things out eventually." A Masters in history. And she works in a library? Something is wrong here.

"So was your life's dream to be a librarian? I would think that you could at least get a teaching position, or some such thing.

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"Well, I don't have the masters yet. I'm still studying for it." She waved off-handedly. "Sure, by rights I should have gotten it, but there have been some failed classes and tuition's a problem for me, so it's taking a while."

Vivian shrugged, not looking at all displeased with herself over the setbacks. Somehow, it seemed that life was taking her exactly where she wanted it. Either that, or she was okay with just being along for the ride. "Besides, I don't know if teaching is my thing. I'd need a teaching degree, have to sit in on classes, all that sounds like a lot of work. She said it sarcastically.

"More than anything, I just want to read. Read and maybe dig up some neat stuff from the past."

"But enough about me, let's talk about you." She said, turning the age old pick up line on it's head. "Did you always want to be a powerful being of pure energy? Or is that a more recent career-life decision?" She gave a wry smile, clearly giving Gigawatt a hard time.

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"Reading and digging may not be the most money making careers, but they are something. As for me..." Gigawatt wondered how much to tell. Certainly not the exact specifics. Couldn't hurt to tell the basics.

"I actually did want to be a teacher, and was for a while. Then I was taken from it by a man I thought my friend, and I got to be his experiment. This is the result. Free energy, about 1 gigawatt every day. Not a bad setup." He switched gears. "Once you do get that Masters, what are you going to do with it?

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"I'm sorry," She regretted asking the question, sensing that she might have hit a sensitive spot.

Deciding to take the way out she had been offered, she answered his question. "I really am not sure what I want to do with it yet. I haven't thought things through that well, yet. I'm hoping to maybe be able to do research, or something. Who knows, maybe I will teach, but for now, I'm just studying."

"So what's it like being made out of pure energy? Can you, like, power a whole city block with that gigawatt or something?" She asked him.

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"Just something to keep in mind. Saw too many promising students that went on to flip burgers. It's depressing. As for what I could do, It's part generator, part capacitor. As a generator, I produce 1 gigawatt an hour, if my calculations are correct anyway. For reference, the largest nuclear power plant in North America produces 6 gigawatts. As a capacitor, I believe I could hold up to a terawatt, if I did nothing but collect charge. For comparison, the entire human race used about 16 terawatts in 06."

He was babbling again, and he new it. He still wasn't sure how accurate his measurements were. he hadn't had normal equipment, and they were only rough guesses, but he was pretty sure on those numbers. He didn't think that the young lady would have much of an idea about what he was talking about, but he hoped she'd be impressed.

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Vivian reacted the same way every history major reacts when someone starts talking science at them: Staring blankly. When Gigawatt's speech was finished, she seemed to wake up a little. "So I'm guessing you must have taught physics then or something? At least that sounds a lot like physics." Vivian gave a small frown, "I didn't do very well in physics in undergrad. So I'm not really sure what all that means..." Her frown turned into a smile, "But it sounds, cool!"

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"Please don't take this the wrong way, but, I didn't really expect you to understand. To be honest, The friend who made me this way was far smarter than I. I'm still not exactly sure how he did what he did. If nothing else thank you for asking the question. I do so seldom get to speak about what I know, and I'm afraid if i don't keep using it, my mind will rot away." He gave a smile. This was quite entertaining.

"What made you choose Freedom City to do your graduate work? You said you came from Harvard, I would expect they'd be able to facilitate that. Why the move?"

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"Well, everyone always says its bad form to study for your Masters in the same place you got your Bachelors." Vivian replied, "I don't know why, but that wasn't really my reason so the point is really moot. Freedom has a lot of cool stuff. Just the history of the Freedom League alone is fascinating let alone everything else that happens here."

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"There is a lot of history around here, that's for certain. I'm sure if you wanted to, you could most likely make a career out of finding all the odds and ends lost over the years. You could probably find some of the gizmos and gadgets that have been left behind in all those fun hero fights. Genuine collectables are hard to come by"

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"It's true!" Vivian replied, leaning on the desk now, "But unfortunately, a lot of the gadgets that do still work get gobbled up very quickly by bystanders. The next thing you know, they're the hottest item on eBay." Vivian shrugged, there was more to it than that, "Otherwise, you'll find an item that will work two or three times before running out of battery, etc. Then it's practically useless anyway."

"What I'd really like to see is something that runs on magic!"

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"I personally don't by the 'magical powers' nonsense that get's thrown around. Sure, there are things that we don't understand yet. Doesn't mean they're mystical mumbo jumbo." He shook his head. Really, the fancy parlor tricks didn't impress him. There was always something driving it. He just wasn't sure what yet.

"I've seen folks that use special belts that slow down time, and folks that have the most convincing illusions in the world. It's all smoke, mirrors, and fancy gizmos. I'll believe in magic when I meet God."

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"Spoken like a true scientist." Vivian smiled. This was getting interesting. "So I take it you do believe in God, if not magic. You'd have to believe God existed in order to want to meet God." Vivian was purposefully obscure about gender when she used the word God. "Do you believe in one God? Or many Gods?"

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