Still Not Safe #2 [M&M 2nd ed]

[Matar]

"So that's what the inside of Andy's nose looks like. Huh. I always wondered." Todd smiles and pokes Andy with his elbow.

Todd pauses for a moment.

"So uh. Does this change your plan any?"

[Drascin]

Andy looks at it for a moment, blinking. It's a bit headache inducing, but years of Cthulhu and varied anime mindscrews have made him fairly resistant. Still, it's one thing to see it in drawing and another to see it in front of you.

"What. The. ****." he mutters, tilting his head a bit.

He recovers quickly, though. And he looks worried.

"Um, Lorne? Question - if this thing is able to bend space like that, what do you think are the odds of it being able to, say, make the round head back at Stork's Nest instead of hitting him by some weird space-looping crap?" he says, outloud enough for the Commander to catch it.

[Tengu_temp]

"I wonder what would happen if something, or someone, entered the SE through one of these big holes on each side. Probably nothing good... And I wouldn't be surprised if it could shoot crystals through the smaller holes on the sides..."
After that statement Emi becomes silent. She doesn't take her eyes off the photos.
I wonder... Is it just a coincidence, or are those crystals inside this thing related to the power Genesis has? To the power I have...?
Emi is lost in thought. She tries to recall if any of the abilities of the previous SEs - the ones she has seen herself, and the catalogued one from the past - were similar to what some Shifters were capable of doing.

[Cubey]

"Yes, by contact we mean the SE entering Alexander's range. Our attack will commence when that happens. Stork's Nest has security and backup systems to defend against everything we are aware the SEs are capable of doing. I feel confident in its ability to destroy the target."
Despite the Commander's words, he looks nervous. Just a little bit, but nervous nevertheless.
"The problem is, we never know what each new SE is capable of doing until it strikes by its own..." He adds in a quieter voice, which may escape all but those closest to him due to the room's noise.

The next few minutes are stressful, but more importantly - very busy. You are surrounded by people reporting their activities to the Commander, mostly involving governments of places where the SE is predicted to reach atmosphere: according to a report that arrived just a few minutes prior, it's somewhere in the northern hemisphere, eastern part of the Pacific ocean. SECT is able to secure some countries' cooperation in but a few minutes: that's rather unusual.


"Alexander, all systems nominal. Main controls online, backup online. We are ready for action." A radio message sounds in the room. Despite the (rather weak) static, you are able to recognize the voice - it's Alex's friend, mr Robot! Okay... that's not his name. But you do not know his real name either.

"Time until contact, 279 seconds!"

"Fire as soon as your target is in range!" The Commander orders.

If you want to say something concering the current situation, now is your last chance.

[Drascin]

In the time that has passed, Andy only had one more question for the Commander - namely, whether there is a shuttle ready in case another space intervention becomes needed.

Other than that, he waits with the others, keeping his nerves under control.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"Have we heard anything from the Japanese and American teams? Are they on board to assist us if this doesn't work? Worst case scenario, we may have to go after two shifting entities and the Ascenders if they decide to show up and make things difficult for us. Which of course they will. They're just waiting for the worst possible moment to show up and screw us somehow." Ben mused aloud.

[kamikasei]

Cat has nothing to say - hard to say anything at this juncture without tempting fate. No, she just waits for the results of the attack, and hopes to be made obsolete.

[Cubey]

"The other two teams are ready to act. A shuttle is prepared and can launch any time. Agents and cooperating governmental forces are on the lookout for the other Shifting Entity, and any sign of Thoughts of Ascension activity. We are prepared for every realistic event."
Commander Clayton responds, although his words are interrupted several times by a stream of incoming reports and order requests. His last sentence's real meaning is obvious: you may prepare for things that logically happen, but with SEs you never know what may happen. Logic does not always apply.

[Haven]

During the time beforehand, Lorne is glad that Emi's started going to class--though he still doesn't attend physics and math himself, he offers to help her with it if she wants.

At the control room, Lorne studies the SE's structure intently. "Fascinating..."

"What. The. ****." he mutters, tilting his head a bit.

He recovers quickly, though. And he looks worried.

"Um, Lorne? Question - if this thing is able to bend space like that, what do you think are the odds of it being able to, say, make the round head back at Stork's Nest instead of hitting him by some weird space-looping crap?" he says, outloud enough for the Commander to catch it.

Lorne frowns. "Well...it's impossible to say, as it hasn't done anything yet. I am curious to see what the effect of an impact is, considering the discontinuity between its interior and exterior." He sounds both frustrated and a little excited at the unpredictability of SEs.

He then turns to Todd, and in a lower voice says "I don't know if we'll have the chance during this operation...but I still support your plan to converse with the SEs, for what it's worth."

[Tengu_temp]

During the time beforehand, Lorne is glad that Emi's started going to class--though he still doesn't attend physics and math himself, he offers to help her with it if she wants.

"Don't worry, I can handle them on my own just fine, I think. I'll ask you if I have any trouble with them, though!" Emi's not lying - she's not a bad student, just a very demotivated one. There is also one other thing: she doesn't want to include school matters, which she thinks little of, into her relationship with Lorne.

---

The warning about the SE getting close makes Emi return to reality. She still ponders about the SEs and their potential connections to Shifters, as well as other related matters, but she pays less and less attention to it as the time gets closer to the encounter and she gets more and more tense.
Will it work? I... don't want people to die again!

[Fri]

"I wouldn't worry too much. However weird it looks like, it's just an SE. Despite all the complication, so far SE dealings are actually pretty simple. We punch it hard enough, and it'll die, and it's a good end for us. Unlike when we must deal with human being, for example..."

[Cubey]

"I want a piece of action... but I don't want anyone to get hurt. What will 03A do if we kill off the Spacey one on the spot just now?"
Sara is thoughtful, but it's also obvious what she said is true - she longs for some excitement and adrenaline.

Time passes...

"Ten seconds." One of Clayton's aides announces.

"Is everything alright, mister Horta?" The Commander asks.

"All's nominal. Stork's Nest, Alexander - ready." You receive a response.

Ten seconds pass. And then...
Silence.

"Stork's Nest, come in please. Mr Horta, mr Ruthe, do you copy? Stork's Nest, come in please." Miss Darius repeats nervously.

"I... again...?" Is Laura on the verge of hyperventilating? It sounds like it, at least.

"Mission successful!" You suddenly hear. It is mr Robo... Horta. He sounds different from his stoic self - he's satisfied, and maybe even a bit cheerful.
"I report, SE 03B has been destroyed. Alexander's first shot caused damage, and the second incapacitated the target. I fired a third shot to ensure its demise. Nobody on the station is hurt, and Stork's Nest is undamaged. We are observing the SE's remains now."

In the silence that follows the report, you can hear a quieter voice.

"W... woah... that was... we're up to fight with something really special out here." It sounds like Alex this time. He too sounds nothing like himself - this time, he's bewildered.

But if he had anything else to say now, you didn't hear it. As the whole room bursts into cheers.

"Great job!"
"I knew it'd work!"
"Yeah! That showed them!"
"Confirmed, SE 03B's Sophium signal is weakening. Its signature is identical to that of a recently deceased Entity."
One of these was not like the other, but still said in a cheerful tone. Even the Commander can finally crack a smile and wipe the sweat off his brow.

Sara looks a bit disappointed - that you didn't get to fight the SE, maybe? But tries to hard that with satisfaction. And that satisfaction is genuine anyway.

As for Laura, she can finally breathe again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats." Clayton sounds gentle, but decisive.
"We must monitor the situation and be always ready in case unexpected happens. Please keep updating 03B's current status, and confirm if the situation on Stork's Nest is nominal. Do we have any news about SE 03A?"

"No sir, it is still... sir!" One of the operators stands up from his seat.

"Yes?"

"The state government of California, US, just received an anonymous phone call about SE 03A! It's supposed to be in the mountains!"

These news sweep through the room, leaving only silence behind. But it doesn't take long for Commander Clayton to retain his composure.

"Contact the government to confirm that, and to find out who made the call and from which location."

"They're already working on it."

An anonymous telephone call was made minutes after the space-type Shifting Entity was destroyed. Is it but coincidence, or something much more suspicious - and possibly dangerous?
Not to mention, someone seemingly saw the Shifting Entity - but the Sophium detectors still say nothing.

The commander turns to the gathered Shifters - that is, to you.
"Please stay on standby. If SE 03A is located, I will have you move out. If SE 03B really is destroyed, our priority is observation - we never had a chance to gather data on a Shifting Entity before. There was always the risk of huge casualties and wide-scale destruction before. We must not lose this chance, but we must be prepared for anything. I do not like how this situation unfolds. I do not like this at all..."

[kamikasei]

Cat lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding during the wait for Stork's Nest to respond. So, it had actually worked. That was better news than she'd been letting herself hope for, by a long shot.

Then she lets go of poor Andy's forearm and blood can start returning to his hand. She'd been gripping it pretty hard while holding that breath, again without being conscious of the fact.

"California? Isn't that the wrong place for it to meet B if it had made it to landing?" Of course, she's suspicious of the call - it feels like, if not a trap, then at the very least a set up of some sort by Ascension. Still, it's not like they'll be sent out until SECT has more information.

[Fri]

James grumbles. "Why don't you just send the american team? They seem capable enough." He says, remembering the american team's so called leader.

[Drascin]

Andy grins triumphantly when the news comes, sighing in relief. "Booyah" he smiles. "For once, I'm wrong, and I love it". He's sad to see Cat let go, though - he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that Cat clutching to him had made the tense wait a lot more bearable...

ANYWAY, moving on quickly from that train of thought, it's still worrying just what Alex saw beyond what they did, given his reaction. He's piping up to ask when-

"No sir, it is still... sir!" One of the operators stands up from his seat.

"Yes?"

"The state government of California, US, just received an anonymous phone call about SE 03A! It's supposed to be in the mountains!"

At this, Andy frowns, the triumph swept from beneath their feet like a rug.

"...I'm betting trap. A Shifting entity that can't be detected, but that someone happened to see - and in an area completely opposite to where it was supposed to meet with the Space-type? It seems... unlikely, to be frank. A trap by the Ascenders wanting to distract us when the real Earth-type appears would seem a crapload likelier" he's thoughtful.

"We still should have the sats give us visual of the alleged witness's area, though. It might be able to hide its Sophium signature to avoid detection - or hell, when it saw he was getting creamed up there, Headache-dude emergency teleported down or some **** and it's the same guy. Who knows with these things. Commander, do we have any way to do a visual search of that mountain range?"

[Tengu_temp]

Emi lets out a huge sigh of relief when the report on the SE's demise is passed.
They did it. Looks like I was worrying needlessly.
She smiles happily - a smile that fades when she hears the further info about the Earth-based SE, and the following conversation.
"If it really is an Ascension trap, then maybe we should cooperate with the American team, have them as backup or something similar. Some of them probably won't be happy that the SE appeared on their turf and we get to handle it, anyway."
The comment is directed towards her friends, but Clayton probably heard it as well - Emi is speaking only a bit quietly.

[Cubey]

"It is indeed a very strange location." The Commander looks like he wants to say something more. But he gets interrupted by an assistant shoving a piece of freshly-printed paper into his hands.

"But... it just got confirmed. Here's a photograph taken in the Klamath Mountains region just a minute ago. It's done courtesy by an unmanned scout craft."

If anyone is interested in what Clayton has to show you - it is indeed a photograph of something unusual. A mountainous, somewhat snow-covered (snow in California? In summer? Who knew!) terrain is but a background for two long, pale white tentacles that sprout from the ground. It's hard to judge their length from terrain alone, but there's a scale on the side of the photo. And the tentacles are long indeed, at least 15 meters (50 feet?) each.
The tentacles have some kind of smaller things that form a seemingly chaoting texture on their surface, but the picture was taken from such a distance that it's hard to say what it is. Spikes, maybe?

"And now we get a detection signal. Everyone, move to the jet. Other teams have already been mobilized, and the MSAS squad was called out from training. They should reach the destination before you, and secure the area. Your priority is observation. Be very cautious."

[Matar]

He then turns to Todd, and in a lower voice says "I don't know if we'll have the chance during this operation...but I still support your plan to converse with the SEs, for what it's worth."

Todd nods his head. With luck the thing wouldn't be hostile, and the commander might let him at least -try- to talk to it.

"And now we get a detection signal. Everyone, move to the jet. Other teams have already been mobilized, and the MSAS squad was called out from training. They should reach the destination before you, and secure the area. Your priority is observation. Be very cautious."

Before hopping on the jet Todd walks over the commander and asks him about being able to talk to the SE.

"So, Commander? Assuming that the SE isn't hostile, uh. How about letting me try to talk to it? It's your call, and I don't expect to do it if it'll all pissed off and raging. But, you know. Keep it in mind. This might be a good opportunity. No one more overqualified for doing this then me, right? Heh."

Afterwards Todd hops on the jet and gets as much rest as he can. He did some PSA exercise with James and really needed a little bit of sleep.

At least the plane ride there is quite. Well, quieter.

[Tengu_temp]

Tentacles? Great. Let's hope they're not of the naughty variety... Emi blushes a bit as her imagination takes her for a wild ride of questionable pictures.

"Yeah, let's let Todd handle this one. He can approach the SE and try to communicate with it using his special powers granted to him by his devotion to tentacles, and everyone else can hide far away." Once again, she's talking to her friends. The delivery is deadpan.

After everyone says everything they wanted to say, Emi heads to the jet. Like Todd, she will probably sleep for at least the first part of the journey - there is no immediate danger to anyone, and she can rest in peace and not worry.

[kamikasei]

"Who knows? Maybe it'll all be sorted by the time we get there. Though I suppose it'd be good for Lorne to get a look at the SE." Cat follows the others to the jet. Like the others, she naps a little on the way, using the rest of her time to track any updates on the entity and the other teams.

[Drascin]

"Tentacles. Never a good sign" is all Andy says on seeing the image, quoting the wellknown adage of all Call of Cthulhu players. He's still wondering. Things don't quite add up. It might just be the SEs being alien things that think weird, it might not. But readings say it's an SE, so they have to go in there.

He does crack a smile at Emi's comment, though. "Don't say it too loud, Emi. Last thing we want it Todd to end up making pals with a tentacled entity. That can't end well" he grins.

As they go, Andy sleeps a short bit and then tries to keep himself entertained with many random thoughts. Plane rides are boring.

[Fri]

On the way there, James just sits silently and looks at the window, probably thinking on ways to punch an SE.

[Tengu_temp]

He does crack a smile at Emi's comment, though. "Don't say it too loud, Emi. Last thing we want it Todd to end up making pals with a tentacled entity. That can't end well" he grins.

"Well... maybe at least it will squick the cultists so much they give up?", Emi says carefully, trying not to think about this mental image. She forgot to take brain bleach on the plane with her.

[Cubey]

"I promise I will let you get close to the SE and talk with it." The Commander answers Todd.
"But only under the condition that it will not be aggressive. Your safety is the priority, remember that."

When you fly towards California, Laura is quiet. Quiet and... could it be determination? One way or the other, she does not say a thing of her own.

Sara... on the other hand.
"Alright! Time for action - I say, we look this thing straight in the eye and make it feel who's boss. And if it tries anything funny, we counterattack, full power. Once we break its will, then we can get information! From the position of superiority."

The supersonic jet takes you west, once again towards the United States. Unfortunately, easy rest is not given to you - as you receive news and status updates while flying.

In chronological order:
The MSAS squads were the first to arrive, and are guarding the area with the help of United States' military. This did not happen without an incident though. A group of soldiers (the message isn't clear on whether it's the Americans or SECT troopers - maybe you should ask about it?) went too close to the seemingly serene SE. And then, they were attacked by its tentacles. Some managed to escape, but there were casualties.

The Commander changes his plans - you are not allowed to approach the Shifting Entity. You should only observe it from afar.

Following this, the American Shifter team arrived. Almost immediately after arrival and receiving their orders, one of them disobeyed. Unsurprisingly - it was Anne, who leaped forward to avenge the fallen and slay the SE.
She fell into a trap. The report is not clear about it, but Thoughts of Ascension were waiting near the SE in an ambush. They managed to overcome her in a fight and take her as a hostage before help could arrive. The SE did not act violently during this operation.

Laura is shocked to hear the news.
"I... this is not how... not again..." She whispers in a barely audible voice. It looks like she might be facing some traumatic past experiences again.

If only you could do something about the situation... but even those of you who can fly, do not move significantly faster than the jet. And you'd only exhaust yourself from trying to move all out for such a long time.

The situation changes soon - the Japanese team is around too (seems everyone arrived before you), but they did not take any action yet. Although in a way, they did not have to. There are two reasons:
First, the acting officer asked for a hostage exchange, and it was agreed on. He offered himself in place of Anne, and changed places with her - so he is the current hostage. The officer's identity: Frank Symes.
Second, soon after this change, the Ascenders gave their demands.

"We do not want to cause any trouble, they say." The Commander sounds grim as he gives you this message.
"They just want to talk with you. They explicitly stated a desire to have a discussion with one from the main Shifter team. And this is your current goal - do not try to take the hostage back via fighting unless you are absolutely sure that the Thoughts' shifters are not going to release him, or will use this as an opportunity to attack you. This is a direct order. I am afraid there will be severe consequences if you disobey."

On the bright hand, you also received recently-printed (there is a printer and a fax machine on board, among other things) pictures of the situation, including your enemies. There seem to be three of them, and you have seen all of them before: the huge, headless bronze statue-like Shifter, a white-haired one with a long coat, and a martial artist clad in silver armor.

(Feel free to react to any part of what happened while you were on the plane, which may or may not include talking with the Commander via radio or with Laura or Sara personally.)

[Haven]

During the flight, Lorne's eyes are closed, but he doesn't sleep. His lips move quietly, and his brow is furrowed in concentration.

Upon receiving the news, Lorne grimaces, then turns to his team. "I believe their request for dialogue is genuine. Further, it presents an opportunity to learn more about their resources and mindset. We should go in good faith, but prepare ourselves nonetheless. Only three of their members have made themselves known, so we should send three of ours, while the rest of us hang back in anticipation of an attack.

"Andy, Todd, and Sara--would you be willing to meet them face to face, with the rest of us covering you? I believe that is the best choice for this situation: Andy, you have made a genuine effort to talk to them on a previous occasion, and would therefore be most trusted by them. The three of you are adept at melee combat--and your PSAs are highly durable--so in the event that a fight begins then and there you would be most capable of dealing with it.

"The rest of us should take cover at a distance--concealing our presence would be preferable, as they almost certainly have reinforcements waiting in the wings--and prepare to fire at the enemy if and when they attack. I do not believe such an outcome is inevitable, and if it is, we will not be the ones to strike first. We can't give them that again."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"I don't like the thought of staying behind, Lorne. At the first sign of Frank, we should fly in there and grab him. We shouldn't be negotiating with these terrorists. It sets a bad precedent." Ben said. "I'm not saying we should put Frank into any more danger than he's already put himself, but playing nice with these lunatics is stupid. It's going to turn into one big clusterf*ck again. It's the same whenever we play by their rules instead of on our terms. Just watch."

[Haven]

Ben Brooks

"I don't like the thought of staying behind, Lorne. At the first sign of Frank, we should fly in there and grab him. We shouldn't be negotiating with these terrorists. It sets a bad precedent." Ben said. "I'm not saying we should put Frank into any more danger than he's already put himself, but playing nice with these lunatics is stupid. It's going to turn into one big clusterf*ck again. It's the same whenever we play by their rules instead of on our terms. Just watch."

"They'd be prepared for us to charge in--they almost certainly have some sort of ambush set up, it's their speciality. That's why we have to send in only those of us who are best suited to dealing with it, while the rest of us make ready to counter their reinforcements. I agree their behavior shouldn't be encouraged, but if we talk to them, we can find out more about what they really want--and that can be used against them. We may even be able to find out what they've done with Sarah.

"Besides, Anne is the one who attacked them first. I know it's risky, but we have to show the world that we are not promoting needless aggression. We got some good PR from the conference--we need to continue in that vein, or we'll just be handing the Thoughts another victory in the minds of the people we need to support us."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"I realize that, but we should use this opportunity to turn the tables on them. If they want to play ambush, we should hammer them into the ground like nails." Ben pounded his fist into his hand for emphasis. "Put Akira or someone else with a long-range weapon on a nearby mountain-top and have them draw a bead on the easiest target's head. Or instead of sending him out there to talk, have Andy dig underneath them and wait for your signal. Some kind of counter-ambush. I know you've got ideas."

[Tengu_temp]

So much for a restful, worry-free journey. Emi shuts in, not commenting on what the others are saying, but she looks torn between shock, sadness and anger. And something else.
The SEs have killed more people that came close... And that Anna, what was she thinking? She made this more difficult for everyone, and maybe more people will even die because of her! So much for an easy observation mission... But Lorne is right, this is also an opportunity to learn more about the ToA - and there is something I want to know...
She looks up, with a determined expression.
"I want to talk with them too."

[kamikasei]

(the message isn't clear on whether it's the Americans or SECT troopers - maybe you should ask about it?)

Cat does ask, and looks over any details that might be available about how the SE's response went, looking to get a feel for its capabilities. Aside from that, she listens to the reports rolling in with the look of contained horror you'd expect to see. Everything is going so wrong, and it's all out of their control...

"I agree with Lorne's plan," she chimes in. "But I don't know how we'd conceal ourselves. We may not have much chance to sneak around without their knowing it." She looks to Ben. "The decision to negotiate has already been made. If we can do it without being seen and setting things off, I agree we should get ready to respond if they try anything, but we were specifically ordered not to attack. Do you think you could get Frank out before they could kill him? Are you willing to bet his life on that?"