Mad SCIENCE! Detective Agency IC

[GFawkes]

"Hmm. Sounds like we'll need an immunity to this stuff. I'll take a look at it, see if I can develop anything."

[The Kings Raven]

"Bring out the notes, it's science all round."

[ThirdEmperor]

My contacts have managed to dig up a few interesting things. First off, the government did indeed purchase the xT5-R gas, and an exclusive contract ensuring that the drug could only be sold to them, they later sold the contract and destroyed the currently existing samples. Tristan says. However, they sold the contract to a government funded group, the Beowulf Agency, most likely just a front, allowing them to deny knowledge of anything particularly scandalous. Said Beowulf Agency has a headquarters in Norman, Oklahoma, as well as owning several small businesses, in various cities. Tristan seems quite proud of all this, delivering the information as if he was giving a lecture on quantum mechanics.

[AyeGill]

Great. I guess vi just go knocking on zeir door, ask if zey know anyzing about ze missing genii?

[Indalecio]

"I wonder if we can cross the Holt Corporation off the list of suspects then. I still need to examine this disk, and maybe investigate this Beowulf Agency. If anyone wants to do a joint investigation, I'd be happy for the help."

James grabs one of the laptops floating around, and sticks the disk into the computer. He copies the contents to a separate location on the laptops' hard drive, before popping out the disk. "Ok, lets see what we've got."

[Arudin]

"Even if Holt is not to blame for this particular incident, they are still suspect. If this gas really did nullify your Wonders, it means there's probably a genius behind it somewhere, meaning they could probably replicate their technique, notes or no. We should check that out, maybe ask around to see if anyone knows who the man behind the curtain is. Worst comes to worst, at least we'll know what we're dealing with, if not who."

[VolV]

"That would be rather impossible Dr.Waldgrave, you see the gas seems to be rather mundane by our standards, with that sample of the gas we would be able to notice it is not mundane, or at least James analyzers would have said so, But then again I digress, the possibility of having a clockstopper behind this, or even some kind of Genii hunter behind this doesn't seem farfetched rather than something sciency, we are just going against the unknown right now.
Well I could find out if there is a man behind the man, but I need the mind to read from my comfortable lab to do so also some time."

[Indalecio]

"What I don't know is whether the gas affects our wonders directly, or affects the Genii, so that link between a Genii is affected. That would be good to verify, whether a Genius in full protective wear, would have his wonders still functioning outside of it."

[The Kings Raven]

"Easier than that, just expose the Wonder but keep it's creator well away." William thinks for a moment." "If it was as simple as that then we could start swapping Wonders around, or give everything to the robots."

[Indalecio]

"Professor Tristan, could we have access to a small, air-tight testing facility? Also we'd need a small quantity of the gas. I am guessing we have some means of replicating a small amount? "

[ThirdEmperor]

Yes, there's an air-tight lab down the hallway, sixth door on the left. All the rooms are air-tight, actually, space station, and all that. Tristan says, pointing at the hallway he's speaking about. I'll have the robots bring you a sample, but right now, I need to go make myself some coffee.

The disk contains a news report about the xT-5R gas, along with several photos, most of them images of middle-easterners in hospital beds, comatose.

The story itself is about how Holt corp designed the xT-5R gas, despite it breaking several human rights laws, and later sold it to the government, who proceeded to test it in several middle-eastern villages. It proceeds to list that several of the victims were not sent to hospitals, but held in government facilities to monitor the effects, and only released after they became comatose and ceased to provide relevant data.

[The Kings Raven]

"I expected better of people then this! You don't suppose some Realist managed to get employed got overlooked in the bureaucracy?"

William heads to the airtight lab.

[GFawkes]

"I beg to differ, William. I have a theory that whoever is doing this has the approval of no public government." Dr. Kraull states.

[ThirdEmperor]

The lab is a large circular room, devoid of anything resembling decoration. It is, however, vey well equipped. Four generators stand on opposite sides of the room, each one crackling ominously with electricity, while in the center of the room is a complex, many armed device hanging from the ceiling over a metal slab. Each of it's steel arms holds a different tool, welding torches, diamond toothed buzz saws, scanners, fire extinguishers, even what appear to be metal hands.

A holographic touch screens floats three feet away from the slab and device, covered with various buttons, apparently for controlling the machine. Of note is a button marked "Seal Lab". A single robotic drone, a spherical chrome orb with a single arm, hovers into the lab, holding a small plastic container of the xT-5R, and places it on the slab before leaving.

[The Kings Raven]

When they had all arrived in the lab William presses the seal lab button with a backpress from his monkey wrench. Before we test our wonders I'd like to see what we're up against here. William settles himself at the console and soon various scanners are looking at the canister.

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This seems like a good place to move those Science rolls to IC. I got six than five successes which I'm putting into answering the question of how much mundane protection is required. Gasmask? Full airtight suit?

[Arudin]

"While we're at it, may I take a look at the notes you have compiled on the substance already?" Arturius asks Dr. Demento. "Perhaps a pair of fresh eyes on the gas' formulae will help us get a better understanding of it."

[GFawkes]

"I should also take a look at the gas. If it functions on a biological level, I could figure out an anti-gas."

[ThirdEmperor]

When the "Seal Lab" button is pressed, the doors and air vents click shut, and a forcefield appears around the metal slab and device. Oxygen begins to flow into the room via canisters of stored air, leaving pretty much no chance of contamination.

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The device provides a +2 equipment bonus for all rolls made to analyze, or scan materials, as well as creating or disabling Wonders.

@The King's Raven: Actually, you can save those rolls for later, as it's pretty obvious that the lab is 99.99% safe from contamination.

[The Kings Raven]

"We'll need to see if a wonder isn't working, unless any of you have a remote that means the robot... No wait I've got it.

William takes one of the hands and fits it around the trigger for his grappling gun. Ok, lets do this!

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Huh? *Rereads the OOC thread.

Oh I see where the misunderstanding was. Those rolls were not to figure out how much protection William needs to stop the lab getting contaminated. He was trying to figure out how much portable protection he needs if they come across the gas in the field.

I was thinking I'd put that Resources 4 to use and just buy a gas mask. I was rolling science to see if that's enough, or if he needs to buy a full body chemical hazard suit. He could afford one.

[GFawkes]

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Wait, this has an OOC thread? Where? Sorry for my not knowing. I've probably missed out on soooo much info.

[/derp]

[ThirdEmperor]

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The OoC is here.

@The King's Raven: Oh, I see. A gasmask will provide excellent protection frog the xT-5R gas, but in order to fully negate it's effects, you'd need a hazmat suit or something similar.

[The Kings Raven]

William makes a mental note to buy a full hazmat suit and a gas mask for portability at the earliest opportunity. Most of his family's money was locked away in trusts until he and his brother reached eighteen with a small allowance until then. This was a relative measurement, not only was William on average one of the richest people in any given room but being set up by generations of mad scientists his families fund managers expected their young charges to buy things like bulk orders of brass, military grade microchips, unwanted Chinese babies... It is the Herrschend family we are talking about. There was a very good reason the peerage refused the surrender of Fredrick Herrschend in favour of killing him.


"Ok, before I start this there's a chance of my grappling gun jamming and we've only got one sample of gas. If anyone else wants to donate a wonder to the cause pass it over, otherwise I'll risk it."

[GFawkes]

"My wonders are internalized, and I don't want to test the effects of the gas on Genii just yet." Dr. Kraull says, swinging his dart gun open.

[Arudin]

"I have one that we could use," Arturius states as he rummages through his bag. "Only thing I'll need is something made of paper that can be used as a base for duplication." Finally, he finds the Wonder he was looking for and pulls a slender wooden box out. "I have nothing else we could use though. In any event, I believe we should stay away from anything that could be potentially harmful," he says with a glance at the grappling gun. "In the event that the gas merely alters our connection to the wonder, rather than cutting it off, there may be more lethal side-effects than you previously observed."

[The Kings Raven]

William begins searching the lab, "It shouldn't be too risky. If this turned into an Orphan it's a little small to defend itself. Here we are, will this do." he holds up a box of filter paper.

If you set up the device so it can do something at the press of a button I'll set it off.

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Looks like we're all set. Lets find out, does this gas affect wonders even if the Genius isn't affected?

[ThirdEmperor]

A quick transformation sequence later, and the newly altered paper is placed next to the sample of xT5-R gas on the slab. Re-sealing the forcefield, the sample vial is opened quite easily, and the gas, a brownish-translucent substance which makes the air shimmer odly, fills the forcefield enclosed space. As the seconds tick by, no change shows in the paper, and a quick check with the scanners confirms it, no alteration of the paper's physical or chemical properties has taken place since the wonder was used on it.

[The Kings Raven]

"It affects the wonders directly, that's a bit of a bother. The forcefield still works though, anyone know how to build an air-tight forcefield?

[AyeGill]

"I could zertainly do it, zough vi vould have to bring our own air along viz us."

[The Kings Raven]

"You just leave that to me"

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Adding divers air tanks to the shopping list.