Log:Contest of Champions, Scene 3

Contest of Champions 2015/02/12 	 Starfish Cheshire Psyn Porter Paragon The Assessor

3

An asteroid floating in space. Improbably, there is an atmosphere. And the sky doesn't look...normal. It's not a typical night sky, with just stars. There are bands of color.

The location: An asteroid somewhere in space. The heroes have been taken from their homes for some sort of cosmic test by The Assessor, a being that claims to both be incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly old. He had hinted at knowing things about the Guild at the start of the second test of humanity, but those questions are still partially unanswered. The heroes (and three villains) have been tasked with recovering an artifact from a pyramid that appeared a short distance away. Two heroes, Paragon and Porter, had almost grabbed it, when Rokugo Dozan managed to snag it with shadow magic.

Whoever returns the object to the Assessor gets to ask him any question, which he will answer to the best of his ability.

The sphere disappears into the darkness and the sound of running can be heard by Paragon and Porter.

Porter had the right idea, he was just a little off. Looking over from his armful of pedestal, he watches the sphere disappear. "Crap! Where'd he go! Can you still see him?" That's for Para, of course. And Porter is torn between trying to run after (which he'll probably never catch up) or try to intercept Dozan outside somewhere.

Paragon scans the pyramid and sighs metallically. "No, I can't. But we know where he's going, right, Partner?" She grabs ahold of Porter again, then peers back out to the front of the pyramid just outside and mentally transmits what she sees to Porter.

Porter is already expecting Para before she gets to him, puts an arm around her, and smacks a button on the NICEPLOT Device again. More -combobulation occurs and the pair reappear back outside the Strange Asteroid Pyramid.

Dozan is already outside the Pyramid when the heroes get out there. He leaps in one of those anime-style ninja leaps, clearing a good thirty meters toward the Assessor. He lands behind the two heroes, and well beyond Mortua, who was near the pyramid itself finally. Ss'lisk is still near the Assessor.

Paragon leaps towards Dozan while still carrying Porter alongside her. "Very well played, but if you're a villain, I can't just let you have an item of that power." She does suspect there's something odd about the Assessor using the item as a test. Perhaps he wants it for himself and couldn't get to it for some reason? Even though it did seem unguarded. She tries to grab for the orb as her body tenses and her armored plates shift and pull together more tightly.

Paragon is bulky and slow. Too slow. Dozan is easily able to play keepaway with the orb.

Porter looks like he's about to cheer when Para leaps at Dozan. But he stops when she doesn't grab the glowing egg-like McGuffin. It doesn't mean she's a klutz, just that Dozan isn't... but he could be? Everybody has bad days. Porter knows this all too well. "Hey! Give it up!"

Dozan is nearly there when he does indeed bobble the item and it hits the ground, starting to roll toward the Assessor.

Starfish, Psyn, and Cheshire appear out of nowhere, having been pulled from their daily routines in a flash of light. Well, Cheshire is back from being here previously, but that's random sampling for you.

Dozan clears the distance to the orb that's rolling away from him and he tries to scoop it up.

Cheshire strolls up to Dozan, parasol open on her shoulder. Smiles up at him, curtsies. Spins her parasol, folding it and driving the point toward his chest.

Dozan is hit in the shoulder and spun around. He manages to keep his footing, but the object slips from his hand again, arcing in the air toward...

An asteroid floating in space. Improbably, there is an atmosphere. And the sky doesn't look...normal. It's not a typical night sky, with just stars. There are bands of color.

There are 12 players connected.

...Psyn, who catches the object with both hands, bobbles it briefly, and then catches it again.

The Assessor nods to Psyn, "Well done. You may ask any question you like of me that you wish. After you confer with your allies." He motions to the other heroes.

The villains disappear in flashes of light, but not before Dozan gives Cheshire a long searing glare. Yeah, that wont' be a problem later, I'm sure.

Psyn blinks for a moment and then looks around at the others, as she finds herself with the orb and then hears the statement, "Um, okay." she says and looks back to the other heroes.

Porter watches the bouncing ball. It's a good thing this isn't a sing-along. And then Psyn has it... and The Assessor seems to call the game. Not that it's really a game. "Hi!" He waves. "We were just more worried about THEM getting it..." He points at the villains. That are suddenly not there anymore. "Er... it's supposedly some kind of thing of great power. Not sure anybody should just be handing it out to anybody, really."

Starfish looks around, at the vanishing persons and at the non-vanishing persons, many of which she has in past met but never under the circumstances of being in an evident super-hero style situation while she wears a less than superheroic identity. "Hi," she offers, a little dumbfounded. "Where are we and...why?"

The Assessor says, "You are here as test subjects. I am assessing humanity for my brethren. As humanity starts to reach out to the stars, it's important for us to determine their place in the galaxy."

Cheshire points her Parasol at the Assessor, "That alien is testing people of Earth. You must have gotten grabbed because you were close to me. I don't think you're in any danger."

Psyn cocks her head to the side and nods, "So and we get to ask a question any question, interesting." she looks at the others pointedly and is purposely not asking any questions really.

The Assessor adds, "This was one test. Recovering that item from the pyramid in over there. It is the second of three tests total. You will be returned home when the tests are complete, and the course of humanity is decided." Yes, no pressure.

Cheshire headtilts. "Humanity decides the course of humanity. What you do with your silly tests is your choice."

Starfish regards the Assessor with something resembling disbelief. "Okay. Bring on your tests." Starfish has had LOTS of experience with tests. Mostly of the brain variety. "What was the first test anyway?" she asks of Cheshire.

Cheshire says, "He beamed in an alien that we couldn't talk to and told it to act hostile toward us. We managed to communicate and spoil his fun.""

Psyn looks at Porter and Paragon who were already here when she and the others popped in, "I have a question I am to ask."

Paragon stays by Porter's side as she listens. "Three tests, from a very small random sampling from the population of a whole planet, is not an accurate measure of a species," she informs politely.

Paragon nods to Psyn. "We have one question to ask. We need to make it an important one." She looks to Porter to confer wordlessly with him.

Porter nods to Psyn. "Yeah, and he's left us with alot of questions. Like telling us the people we're already talking to as reps from The Guild aren't really the reps from The Guild..." He stops and then looks to Para. He's probably a bad one to decide on a single question to ask.

"Okay, so I'm not the only one who doesn't think very much of this," Starfish says, an uncertain glance cast to Paragon and Psyn. "So what's one question worth if you don't trust the person answering it?" she asks Cheshire.

The Assessor just waits quietly, listening to the others talk.

Cheshire smiles lopsidely, "It's worthless. You might as well ask what's in the mystery meat in the cafeteria."

Psyn cocks her her head to the side, "If the ones that we are talking to aren't really reps for the guild, then maybe we should ask how to contact the real reps from the guild."

Paragon looks to Cheshire. "I do not mistrust the Assessor just yet. But he is being truthful on that fact. He's stating a fact someone else has already told me." She turns to the other heroes. "I already have been told that what we know as the Guild are not who they say they are. According to...a trusted friend of Spirit, they are behind the mind control and brainwashing of all the villains in Stronghold currently. For what purpose, we don't know. So perhaps we should ask specifics about the aliens working with us. Who they really are and what their intensions are. Or how to get them off our planet."

Starfish goes quiet, still unsure about the whole situation but not having had a lot of time to prepare herself for it, nor spend in it. Plus at least one person she does not really know seems to take the face value. Then she gets to thinking more. "How do you get definitive results from three different tests? Unless saying that there are three tests is just a test..."

Psyn nods, "WEll that is two choices, contact the real guild, or identity of the fakes." she looks back and forth.

Cheshire twirls her parasol. Smiles. "No pressure Pysn, it's just the fate of the world."

The Assessor looks to Psyn, "Have you come to a decision?"

"The fake guild is hindering us from attempting to explore our own solar system and galaxy effectively by placing restrictions. Since we've had no contact with the real guild, it's better to know who ARE the ones trying to oppress us, I would think. Who they are, what is their intent," Paragon suggests.

Psyn nods, "And the question then, cause I can agree with that, but how to phrase and what to ask is almost a question in of itself."

Psyn looks at the Assessor, "Almost."

The Assessor nods slowly. "We do not have forever, of course. Your life span is limited." The orb disappears in a flash of light, and the ground rumbles while the pyramid returns back below the ground.

Paragon's eyes dim slightly. "I was never good at asking limited questions like this. I'm not sure how to ask it to get a satisfactory answer," she admits.

Paragon rubs the chin of her helm. "Maybe we should ask what this false race's intentions are for our planet?"

Psyn raises a brow and then comes to an idea, "We want to know who they are, what they want and how to get rid of them from my understanding." she says, "THere has to be someone who has all those answers, that will tell us, we could ask how to find that person."

"Control," Starfish says with a shrug. "Resource of some kind. Slave labour. Energy production. Food. Something we would object to." She looks to Cheshire, "What I'm getting at is no matter what the reason we are probably going to want it to stop. So... is knowing why really important compared to another question we could ask?" She frowns. "Stupid dilemmas..."

Paragon frowns behind her helm as she thinks on that. "If there was someone on earth with all those answers, they would've come forward. If they're not on the planet, we're restricted by the so-called Guild from exploring."

Psyn nods, "WEll then we need to know how to get rid of then, will ask that unless there are objections."

Paragon shakes her head slowly. "The why or who doesn't matter. The what, may. Or perhaps we can ask how to resist them." She sighs heavily and looks to Porter. Her original thought of asking for cures for all illnesses doesn't seem so bad to her.

Psyn nods, "WEll then we need to know how to get rid of then, will ask that unless there are objections."

The Assessor continues to wait patiently.

Cheshire shrugs, "Sounds fine to me."

Starfish looks introspective. "If I was impulsive I'd ask how to pass the third test..." she muses in a near murmur.

Paragon stares for a few moments. "If all are in agreement, I suppose that is a good question. But I think the answer will result in 'fight them'."

Psyn nods and turns back to the Assessor, "Ready then, it seems, Other than just fighting them, how to we get out from under these false Guild representatives?"

The Assessor nods. "They need to be rooted out. They are a Cartel called the Nar'qu. As I said before a subset of the individuals that make up the Guild. Every contact with the Guild has actually been with the Cartel. Your Marshal Service has been effectively been taken over by them subtly, and they have taken root. If you wish to be truly rid of them, they would need to be cut out like a cancer. There are two ways to do this. First, you could get the Guild itself involved, which would involve traveling to the Guild homeworlds personally. Second, you could wage war on the Cartel on your planet."

The Assessor adds, "Neither solution is foolproof, nor without its own set of problems."

Psyn nods her head, "And I am probably one of the best to help cut them out." she shakes her head and looks back to the others, "Question asked, what next?"

Paragon frowns behind her faceplate. "Well, that sounds like a confirmation of what I heard about the UEMS. Interesting. I suppose even space fairing races still deal with their own criminals."

The Assessor nods, "One final set of questions. Each of you need to answer this question for yourself." He pauses for a moment, "If I were to grant you the power to do anything you like...more personal power than any other individual on Earth...the power to raise mountains or level them...the power to create new seas...the power to imprison anyone...or to destroy anyone... What would you do with that power?"

Cheshire looks at the Assessor, "If you're from the Guild, and these are criminals, and you know who they are, why aren't you already working with Earth to capture them?"

Starfish watches The Assessor as it responds at length to the question posed. Cheshire poses a question that she also has, though her own thoughts extend further than that with several answers and questions deduced. "This is the course of humanity thing," she suggests to Cheshire.

The Assessor turns to Cheshire, "As I stated when you were here the first time, I am not with the Guild. I and my brethren are older than the Guild, and we shall exist long after it is gone."

Psyn looks to each of the others as she thinks on the question that was asked.

The Assessor turns to Paragon, "I would like you to answer first."

Paragon goes back to rubbing the chin of her helm as she thinks on the question. "The power to do anything? I would want....hmm. I don't really know that I would want power. But if that sort of power were granted, I would use it for good and towards world peace. To change the world into one where everyone prospered and had their needs met. Food and resources would be abundant. The ill would have treatments available to them without cost. Much more would be involved...but I'd like a world where everyone could be safe and happy." What is this, a beauty pageant? Well, it it was Paragon tries to do on a small scale with her limited power and resources. She's just thinking on extending her small good will works to include a whole planet.

The Assessor nods to Paragon and then turns to Cheshire. "And you?"

Porter can't stop a warm, knowing smile when The Assessor assesses Para, first. As far as great representatives of the best part of people on the earth, he counts her at the top. Though he is just a wee bit biased.

Cheshire hmmms, "It's tempting. I do want to help people, but, no, I would refuse the power. I love danger and excitement too much. If I had more power than anyone, I would be so bored, that I'd start causing trouble, just to see if anyone could give me a thrill."

The Assessor looks at Cheshire for a long moment, but then turns to Psyn for her answer.

Psyn thinks for a moment and then nods, "Like Paragon I would want to do good with it, but I would have to refuse that power, because even with the best intentions that power would corrupt me. To bring about would peace I would have to impose my will on others, to force others to do what I wanted and that would make me no better than those that wish to subjugate, the wrong actions for the right reasons are still wrong actions. The best thing about humanity is our free will, that kind of power in the hands of one person...I just see and end to free will no matter how good the intentions when starting out." she says softly.

The Assessor nods and turns to Starfish. "And you?"

"You ask what we'd do with that kind of power but we know we're being tested, which in unresponsible types would taint the test," Starfish suggests. "Regardless of that... I don't really know what I would do yet. What I think I would do is work out a long term plan of gradual change without anyone knowing I was involved in making any changes. Ideally for improvement but... unless I was also omniscient I wouldn't know all of the ramifications. ...given that the scenario is that the power is granted and not whether I choose it, I mean." She shrugs slowly.

The Assessor nods. "Very well."

"I'd want to use to power to make everything good, for everybody," Porter pipes up and nods at Para, "like she said. But like SHE said," now a nod at Starfish, "never know what'll happen from that. Not sure I'd want all that power all to myself, or for anybody to have all of it. Just makes mistakes really powerful, too. Or turn people greedy. And how can one person know what's best for everybody else, anyhow? I wouldn't take it. Better to spread it out to alot of people. Maybe everybody."

The Assessor nods. "Very well. I shall add your answers to the others I have gathered. I shall return you to where you were taken from. In aggregate, your species has passed the tests this time." As the heroes start to beam back to the planet, he says, "I wish you luck in your dealings with the Guild. I shall return for further assessments in the future."

...and each hero finds himself or herself back where they were just as they had been prior to being teleported away from the planet. Curious. Was it real? Or just a hallucination?