Log:Barnabas Bighead, Scene 1

Barnabas Bighead 2019/11/08 	 Blok Chen Grimm Rangel Voyager Wade Stan Oakleigh Barnabas Bighead

1

It's a rather chilly early evening. People on day shifts have all left work, but restaurants and the like are busy.

Blok is on one of his infrequent breaks from the Hospital, and is heading to StarGuard to see if he can be of help there.

Wade is coming out of Starguard and heading toward the college campus to use the gym there. He could use the one at Steel's Gym, but that's clear across town. Might as well get some use out of that alumni ID card while he can.

Floppy emerges from the TransMat terminal and is hopping toward Starguard.

Grimm is getting out of classes and heading for a place to eat in the district. Something or someone involved with Campus has her wanting to avoid it. She has a messenger bag slung over her shoulder, and is wearing a leather jacket and dusty lavendar-gray scarf over her black band t-shirt and black jeans. The white band logo is so messy that unless you knew the band, you'd have no idea what it says.

The Prototype Android host body for SONA is traversing the city as it scans its way through the internet as the entity makes its way towards its 'second job' after leaving Elia's place where it spent the better part of the day attending to the woman's domestic and medical needs. The droid also serves as a Mid-Shift StarGuard Agent and so is one the way to StarGuard Gamma Base to resume its secondary lsit of responsibilities.

5rIt pauses to examine a newsstand's latest news and compares it to what it has seen via standard NewsOrgs.

Abruptly there's a message over the SG emergency channel. "Mayday, mayday! I need help - send Gamma! I'm in--" The transmission cuts off as suddenly as it began.

Wade hadn't put his radio in his bag yet. He says over it, "Do we know where that came from?"

The VoyagerSIM immediately relays the call and checks off that it is capable of responding. It requests triangulation of the signal from Gamma's analysis team.

It posts its current location, suggesting it as a rally point for any local SGG members who might respond.

Blok sees the waypoint pop up on his comm and heads that way.

"Checking... " comes back a voice on the comms. "Huh! It's an Iota communicator. Registered to.... Stan Oakleigh."

Grimm gets the alert through her airpods earpods, suddenly drawn out of the funk she was in. She flickers and vanishes, appearing closer to Starguard, doing a few hops as she listens to the comms.

Floppy lacks any radio or SG communicator and thus simply continues hopping toward the Starguard building.

Wade seconds Voyager's request. "Can we get a fix on where it came from? And what's his address, if we can't?"

Hearing that the Android begins scouring the internet for records matching this person's name.

It super charges its processor array to crunch data as quickly and accurately as possible.

"I've got a fix on his communicator - basement. Room B47," continues Dispatch.

Rangel turns her attention and heading in the direction last flagged, leaping from one concrete surface to the next, bow out and ready along the way. "Agent Ferryl responding."

Wade furrows his brow, "Inside Starguard?"

"This Unit is en route." The Android reports as it steps into traffic and begins running there. It continues looking through files online but it stops overclocking itself to save power.

Grimm radios over the comms <> she draws a circle in the air, creating a portal to HQ's steps and stepping through.

Reactor leaves Alien District and enters West Colonial Heights.

Floppy rteaches the Starguard building and hops inside. Hopping to the reception desk it/he/she asks, "So has SGG been disbanded or something. I haven't heard anything from here for weeks."

"Confirmed, at HQ. Communicator is stationary."

"Any camera feed available?" Rangel asks, heading into HQ. "Also what's in the basement that might cause emergency?"

The receptionist jumps. "No, not disbanded. Uh, why do you ask?"

Floppy explains to the receptionist, "Well I'm supposed to be a member. But my help wasn't requested for the moon mission. Which kind of surprised me."

The VoyagerSIM commands its host body through StarGuard proper and just keeps running towards the stairway leading to the closest hallway junction to the room stated. It updates command every step of the way- because its a robot and tedium means nothing to it.

Despatch says, "Cameras seem to be down. That whole area is general storage. Hm, looks like Sigma manages it."

Blok runs and enters StarGuard HQ as well.

Grimm hurries through the doors after closing her portal. She charges past reception and heads for the elevators. She stretches her shadow sight to physically sense the basement and Oakleugh if she can.

Wade heads back into the base as well, though he pauses only briefly when he sees Floppy. The receptionist can handle it. He doesn't recognize the rabbit, and ther's a distress call to deal with. He hurries toward the basement.

"One camera down or many?" Rangel asks. "If it's one maybe accident. If it's many, be ready for a fight."

Blok joins Grimm at the elevators.

Remembering the last elevator fiasco, Rangel elects to take the stairs.

"Well - I can speak for why that is. You should talk to Commander Perrault," says the receptionist.

Floppy calls after Wade, "Hey, Wade. What's up? Why is everyone running through here?"

"This Unit is moving through stairway now." It says as it leaps over handrails, bending them slightly before landing with a metallic thud. It repeats all the way to the proper subbasement before blowing htrough the door as rapidly as it dare without injuring someone who might be on the otehr side or yanking the door off its hinges.

Wade stops and looks back to Floppy. "There's a distress call to deal with. The receptionist can help you...sir. Ma'am." He's unsure, so he says both. He's in a hurry.

"Two camera are out. Mind, that's nothing unusual, down there. Bottom of priorities for repairs," says Despatch.

Floppy hops after wade, "Nobody tells me anything." Floopy says, "What's happened?"

Wade obviously doesn't recognize Floppy. "Wait at reception. Please." He points back the other direction.

The elevator arrives.

Wade sighs. "I know you know who I am. But I'm afraid I don't know you. Without credentials, I can't just let you in here."

Grimm steps up tp the elevator doors. "Hey, hurry up, Golden Boy," she calls with a smirk to Wade, then turns into a shadowy figure and steps through the elevator to drop down the shaft.

Blok waits for Grimm to step into the elevator first before crouching down and creeping inside. He holds the door for Wade.

Floppy stops for a moment, "Wait at reception? Come on Wade, this is me. Since when have I had to wait at reception. Is this mess with Chen Li month or something?"

Wade sighs and finally realizes who it is. "You look like a bunny rabbit!" He shakes his head, "Come on..." He waves her through and heads toward the elevator.

Floppy extends her eyes on stalks to look at herself, "Oh, yeah. I forgot that. Was working for the State Department, being a bodyguard for the Bungarian Ambassador. Took the appearance of a warrior guard of his species to try and make him feel at ease." Even as she speaks she's morphing back to the usual form and hurrying after Wade.

Once Wade and Chen have entered the elevator, Blok allows the doors to close and pushes the button for the sub-basement.

THe basement is poorly lit compared with most of the building, not least because of the aforementioned low maintenance priority: several lights are out. A not-very-tuneful whistling can be heard echoing down the corridors.

Wade pulls off his jacket and stuffs it in his bag, to make sure he can turn on his shield if need be.

The Android moves towards the whistling sound- not at all trying to be quiet or subtle. This is a mayday call afterall! It recognizes speed is paramount.

Grimm frowns at the whistling as they get off. "Oh hell no.."

Grimm cringes. "I'm going to not want to see what I'm feeling probably, but...let there be light." She snaps her fingers.

Wade raises a brow. "That sounds like the janitor's whistling, based on what I remember."

"Okay, so he went from mayday to whistling?" Rangel asks quietly. "Imma be ready to put him to sleep if he twitches funny." Pomf(tm) arrow at the ready.

Well, it's not the prettiest of sight. The place needs a new paintjob, at least. There are cobwebs. A few rats scatter for cover at the sudden light.

Those rushing toward the whistling round a corner and come, indeed, upon a janitor, mopping the floor. He glances up. "Careful! It's wet!"

Chen looks at the state of the basement, "Janitor? If he's still alive he needs to be fired. Look at this place."

Its singular iris shifts after the sudden change of light reveals their surroundings.

"This Unit believes that this area is dire need of the Janitors' attention." The Android says as the others arrive.

Wade hurries along as well, though he slowly as they get into sight of the janitor. "Stan...you sent a distress call?"

The janitor takes his earphones out. "Sorry? What was that, Victory?"

Rangel keeps her distance, on high alert. This is the opposite of correct in her experinece.

Grimm tries to sense beyond the walls as she follows the front line.

Wade smiles slightly as the earphones come out. "You made a distress call with your comm, Stan?"

Grimm looks around a bit, then looks to the janitor. "Might be time to call an exterminator."

"I can go rat hunting later," Rangel mutters to Grimm. She's still ready to give the Janitor a piece of Pomf(tm).

"Hm? Distress call? No... Why'd I do that? Not that I couldn't do with the help to clean this place," he chuckles. "But you know how it is. Iota's budget's the first to get slashed. You think they'd still be employing me if they had the budget to buy a decent cleaning robot?"

"Well, that seems...I didn't want to stereotype you," Grimm mutters to Rangel.

Wade furrows his brow. "Do you have your communicator on you, Stan? Can I see it?"

"Target practice," Rangel clarifies.

Stan reaches up to his ear. "Damn - must've dropped it. I knock it out sometimes when I'm listening to music..."

"I am getting really f!@#ing tired of shapeshifting imposters," Rangel mutters, sniffing in Stan's direction for signs that he isn't entirely human.

Wade doesn't quite trust Stan, but he nods. "Well, we'll have to find it. Where were you working in the last...ten minutes or so?"

The Android scans the area with its singular optical sensor. "Stan- Designation: Janitor seems to be correct. This Unit would be able to clean this up in less than one shift." It says cheerfully.

Its cycloptic eye snaps towards Stan's empty communicator storage location and notes it.

The mention of shapesifters prompts the robot to go into a defensive mode. With the tight corners and number of much squishier biologicals to protect it elects to activate its deflection field instead of going for a higher manueverability.

Chen puts a hand behind her back and morphs it into a mimiced replica of 'Stan's' hand. Then tries to sense if the HAND is human or otherwise.

"Not a shapeshifter," Rangel mutters. "Or a really good one. Smells right. So probably compromised. I don't smell anything that isn't expected here. That's a really really bad sign."

"Strongly suspect Stan the custodian has been compromised. Permission to use nonlethal force to neutralize?" Rangel murmurs over comms.

"Um. mopping up thataway." Sta waves vaguely further down the corridor. "Look, I'd love to chat but I've got a lot to get on with...."

Stan looks suddenly terrified. "Compromised? Neutralise?!!"

"Lied about communicator," Rangel adds to the list of reasons.

The VoyagerSIM notes how much time it has left in its reserve power supply.

Emergency Power Remaining: 00:19:22

The Android tries to step to intercept Stan's retreat.

"This Unit requires you to halt while we investigate the emergency signal that was reported coming from your comms device." It says in the most cheerful & friendly manner it can muster- which is really jsut hte voice it uses all the time.

Wade shakes his head, "No neutralizing anyone. And Stan...you'll need to wait. I know you have work to do, but it can wait. It's a matter of security. You'll wait here."

Grimm suddnely shakes her head and holds her temple. "I just got attacked! We've got a strong mentalist here!"

Stan looks both horrified and anxious now. "BUt.. the cobwebs - all the cobwebs - must get on with the cleaning...."

Grimm shores up her mental defenses, trying to protect herself from another assault.

Rangel fires. "Sorry, Victory. I'll take reprimand later if you got it for me."

The VoyagerSIM fearlessly puts right manipulator on Stan's shoulder. "This Unit will assist in your efforts once we discover teh sour--" It stops speaking when Grimm speaks about being attacked.

It moves to protect the others but has no idea where the attack is coming from.

Chen says, "Not a worry for me. I'm largely immune to mental attacks."

"There's a very powerful mind up ahead. Seriously. And...lots of small furry objects up ahead...?" Grimm says. "It's not the Janitor!"

Grimm points down the hall. "It's one of the furry things in one of the other rooms."

The Pomf(tm) arrives just under the jaw line, sending a shockwave that cascades over Stan's entire body and reduces his consciousness level to the opposite of that. "Sorry, Stan. He's fine. Not enough force to injure. Consider it preventing a hostage situation."

Wade sighs as he sees Stan get taken down. He turns on his shield. "Furry things? What furry things are you talking about?"

"It's Starguard. Probably aliens?" Grimm shrugs helplessly at Wade. "They're small, furry, and telepathic. That's all I can sense at the moment. I could try to find out more, but I won't be able to keep this hallway illuminated if I do."

Chen adds, "They are also waiting for us. They know we're coming."

"Waiting, or hiding down here. It's not like there's much other places to go," Grimm comments.

The VoyagerSIM crouches to sit Stan in a more comfortable position.

"This Unit is a symbionic construct. Perhaps I should take point. Small mammalian creatures should pose no threat." The Android says as it turns to look in the direction they are indicating.

Rangel says quietly, "The word minions was mentioned. Master telepath, controlled friends I'm guessing."

Wade nods. "Rats, maybe?" He keeps his shield turned on and heads in the direction indicated. He had some good luck against the last telepath he faced.

The Robot moves with Wade, hoping to shield the others with its body on one side while Wade handles the other- if things get physical anyway.

The heroes reach the closed door behind which their adversary apparently lies.

"Telepath prodecures is we don't let them get a visual on us," Rangel says. She waits out of line of sight from the door, ready to move and fire a second or two after it opens.

Chen morphs into a large riot shield with legs and a firing slot, then steps in front of Rangel.

Wade nods. "I suggest I go first. I'm...pretty resistant to mental control. And if I get turned, Rangel, you have permission to shoot me from behind."

"This Unit is shifting modes to operate within Telepath Procedures." The Robot says as its indicator lights shift & the defelctor field drops. Lights along the underside of its body begin to glow faintly as it begins a constant recursion process to make sure it has not been effected by telepoathic attack.

"You got a signal to tell us when you're compromised?" Rangel asks. Her tone is deadly serious, rather than flippant.

The observant may notice this is a few rooms away from the one that Stan's communicator is allegedly in.

Wade shakes his head, "I'm not sure what that would be. Once it happens, I can't likely give you a message, right? But...I don't see another choice in the matter?"

Blok catches up after making certain that Stan will be alright.

"If you get turned, is it going to hurt?" Grimm smirks and stays a bit bheind and ready.

"I'm ready to pick targets," Rangel assures.

Wade grins at Grimm, "I think a mentalist would have a hard time making me blindside anyone."

"This Unit notes that the room described by Dispatch is that one." The Android reports while Wade prepares to BREACH the door. It points at the other door where the communicator is.

Wade goes to open the door, keeping his shield at hte ready. "Let's deal with what Grimm sensed first. Then we check the communicator."

Rangel lifts a hand, counting down from five silently.

Grimm nods and gets her mind ready as they prepare. "Alright, well...if you go rogue, I'll try to break you free."

Wade opens the door and steps inside.

The door opens easily. Then a shrill little voice cries "FIRE!"

The room is full of rats. Some are standing near the door. They look feral. Others look rather more intelligent. This may in part be due to the many mothballed last-generation SG weapons they've contrived to prop up facing in the direction of the door. Some are working the triggers. At the far end of the room (PER roll required to pick him out), high standing on a crate, is a black rat with a huge head (the back part of it, anyway).

Chen darts in front of everyone on hearing the start of the word 'fire'. Because she's not entirely given up on Wade. Especially with Stargirl being on the other side of the country. Bracing herself against being knocked back she covers all the other heroes in her walking shield mode.

Voyager is preparing to help brace Wade from the oncoming fire & deflect what he can when Chen is suddenly there. The Android does some calculations and elects to split the fire up and divert some of the attention away from its allies- so it dives into the room, rolling to its feet and attempts to swipe the largest weapon it can find away from the small vermin manning it.

Voyager is preparing to help brace Wade from the oncoming fire & deflect what he can when Chen is suddenly there. The Android pauses- unsure what to do.

"ERROR" The Android says aloud. "Recalculating tactical options now." It reports as it does so, trying to find a way around this situation.

Chen laughs, "Impressive. I actually felt that. Kind of a slight tickle in my mind." she tells the big brain rat.

Grimm stays back and somewhere safe as Chen covers the doorway. The lights flicker and dim away as she concentrates on reaching past Chen. A dark portal opens up within the room, and shadowing whisper of energy start to swirl about inside.

About half the wild rats collapse. Some of the intelligent rats are also knocked out, and almost all are stunned. Bighead himself is ok.

Bighead unfortunately set some of his toughest rats with the biggest weapons. Of these, a pair with an 'energy bazooka' manage to fire....

And the hoard of enraged wild rats charge for the doorway, nibbling at everyone they can....

Minor low velocity fragments of carbonized Chen as blasted out her 'back' as the energy charge rips a hole in the Chen shield.

Rats try to scramble through the hole in Chen!

Voyager sees the hole blown out of Chen and hears the scurrying horde. The Android leaps into position to hold the wave. "This Unit suggests we come up with an alternate plan immediately." It says as it reinitiates its deflector shields.

Blok lays his hands on Chen and lets his healing energies flow into her

Wade steps back to give Voyager and Blok both room to maneuver, and gets out of the way. And he's not going to be able to help as things stand at the moment.

Rangel has targets. Largest and strangest moving rat with the high pitched voice, and the heavy weapon. Fortunately, she can hit both with some fancy maneuvers and snap-shot. Priority one: Heavy Weapon. Taking to ceiling, ensuring she remains out of the big brain rat's line of sight, Rangel launches an arrow through the slit that Chen made for her.

Grimm looks to Wade. "You really sure you want in there?"

Wade gives Grimm a look, "Am I doing any good out here?"

Chen uses +STUN to increase Stun statistic.

Grimm sighs and nods. "Get ready, then."

Wade shakes his head, "No...just...if this works, great. Hit them again, or something?"

Chen forms a mouth at her back, "Be ready. I estimate at this rate I'll be out of action in about three seconds."

"This Unit believes these rodents are tickling me." The Android says. "Though I am in no immediate danger. This Unit suggests a change of tactics before Chen is more seriously injured. Perhaps a purposeful breach to force them through a 'choke-point'." It suggests after chiming helpfully.

Wade shakes his head, "I heard the squeaks when Grimm did whatever she did. Just go with that again. No sense in opening more of us up to attacks, right? Unless Chen isn't able to hold the doorway?"

The "energy bazooka" isn't much damaged, but it does go flying across the room and ends up pointing at a wall.

Grimm nods to Wade and focuses back towards the room.

"This Unit does not believe it has misheard. The Entity Identified as Chen has estimated approximate three seconds until she is 'out of action'. Perhaps this Unit has misunderstood the colloquial term."

"This Unit does not believe it has misheard. The Entity Identified as Chen has estimated approximate three seconds until she is 'out of action'. Perhaps this Unit has misunderstood the colloquial term." The Android says to Chen.

Rangel then changes target to the big brain rat, narrowing her eyes as she gets a target by hearing, flinging another arrow to careen off a wall and into the rat to give it something to think about.

The arrow narrowly misses Bighead. It seemed to change course to miss him at the last moment.

Rangel does not know why, only that the arrow did not land on target. She is not too bothered. Blind shots against tiny targets require practice. Another arrow is nocked.

Chen maintains her shape as a door, closing the hole in herself and reaching out with a spare extra arn to swing at the bigbrain rat.

Clearly the pain is distracting. Chen/door's pucnh is well off target.

Voyager the Android analyzes the situation and steps away from the Chen-Door since she's closed the hole.

It supercharges its processor array and assumes a proper 'thinking position' a la Auguste Rodin. Its indicator lights shift to its ocular sensor's casing and along the central parts of its abdomen which is where its main processor array actually sits.

Wade takes a deep breath and just tries to wait patiently while the others deal with the problem.

The VoyagerSIM is concerned a biological entity (Chen) is still under duress- so it attempts to think their way out of the situation.

Barnabas Bighead surveys the scene. He's not an idiot - one attack took out half his forces. "Retreat, my minions! Into the tunnels! The humans cannot follow us there....." And he jumps off the crate and scampers down a hole in the wall behind it.

Grimm grumbles, "The big one's gotten away!" She tries to pour forth more qliphothic energy into the room via the small tear in reality she made.

The other rats collapse - but for the ones Bighead had placed on the larger weapons.

Rangel says, "I can cut off their escape. Your call if you want to hold them."

"This Unit would like to converse with the leader." The VoyagerSIM says via the Model 9 Prototype.

"It's still in the building. Communication can be established," Rangel informs. "I don't think it's ready to listen right now."

Chen sees Bigbrain has run off down a tunnel and the energy bazooka is out of position. So she jusr relaxes and goops into a liquid that flows out of the way of the doorway. Giving the others access to the room and the remaining rats.

Wade steps past Chen, positioning himself to block the energy weapon's attack if it fires again, "Did we lose the one that started this?"

"Yeah. I felt him scamper down a hole behind the box it was on," Grimm answers.

"This Unit will wait then." The Robot replies as it prepares to man the exit hole and establish a line of communication with yet another native life form of Earth with sapience. It is compelled to learn about its existence civilly thanks to its original, underlying (intergalactic) programming.

Bighead's 'lieutenants' scamper down the hole after Bighead.

"This Unit will have the lab prepare an enclosure for these injured ones." The VoyagerSIM says. "I would like to attempt to catch one of the larger ones that moves with purpose." It says aloud as it moves to swoop up a box and catch one it beleives holds promise.

"No injured ones," Rangel says. "All just stunned out."

Grimm seals up the little rift she created, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "Well...I wasn't going for lethal myself."

Grimm keeps her mind guarded, just in case.

Wade looks to Grimm, "Can't effectively get the leader indirectly?"

Grimm closes her eyes to focus. "I'll give it a try..."

Voyager says "Correction. 'Stunned out.' Perhaps some of them are equally intelligent."

Grimm attempts to make her shadow stretch out along the ground, over the box, and towards the hole where she tries to feel where the big guy is scampering.

The rats suddenly vanish from Grimm's perception.

Grimm's brow furrows and then...her eyes snap open. "Shick. Sorry, Victory...it was too slippery," she sighs as her shadow retracts back to being a normal shadow. "Whoa...it just vanished. Or ...hid itself. I can't sense it anymore."

Wade sighs. "Worth a shot. Thank you for trying."

Rangel enters the room by ceiling, taking a good scent sample from the box perch.

"Fascinating." The Android says.

Grimm nods to Victory and surveys the unconscious rodents.

The smells indicate that the rats have had access to this room for a long time.

Wade turns off his shield, "I guess I'll write the report. Might as well do something to help. I the meantime, I guess we need to get some cages, close the hole off, nad move hte equipment. But we can get anothe division to do a lot of that."

The rats are gradually recovering, and generally try to scarper.

Chen reforms, eyes the rat tunnel and decides not to volunteer to go down it.

The Android calls a StarGuard Science team to assist it in containing these rodents for further study, to seperate out the intelligent ones and begin a line of discourse.

It shuts off its scent detection systems for fear of damaging sensitive equipment.

"This Unit has called a Science team to assist. I beleive that I should assist in cleaning up this area and seeing if we can find an amicale solution to this problem."

In the course of the clearup several things become clear. (1) Then are holes to other rooms too. (2) The crates in here would not be full if you just put the visible weapons back in.