Log:Riftgate - RG-1 - 02 - Who Cares About Normals

Riftgate - RG-1 - 02 - Who Cares About Normals 2008/12/14 	 Diamond Jade Kibin Xing-Liu 1

Riftgate Chamber
The walls, floor and ceiling of this chamber are constructed of the same shiny metal as the Security Area. The expense of entirely enclosing an area some twenty yards wide and the same distance deep, and fifteen feet high, with Questonite must have been considerable. Dominating the chamber is the Riftgate itself. The glittering black metallic ring is ten feet in diameter although the portal diameter itself is a mere eight feet across. There's a definite warping of local gravity which can be felt close to the Riftgate. When active the interior of the ring displays a shimmering silvery surface with rippling reflections.

On the left side of the chamber as you enter is the control console, several banks of electronics and optical computing systems, and a small but self contained cold fusion generator capable of powering the Riftgate independently of external power. At each corner of the chamber are ceiling mounted automatic weapons just in case something unwelcome comes through.

Mission Briefing
Janet Farrel, the head of operations of the Riftgate project, has sent out word that another viable dimension for exploration has been found. She asks all interested and available team members, and any heroes who wishes to join the team, to come to the Riftgate room.

When you all arrive the technicians are busy checking over the gate device. Janet welcomes you. "Welcome back, Jade, Kibin, Olivia. Welcome to the Riftgate project, Xing-Liu."

Olivia got the call and made her way to the Operations room after clearing her schedule for the next couple weeks, just in case, given what happened on the last mission. She looks to be in a good mood. The teen is wearing her usual outfit though and smiling a bit.

Jade arrives pretty promptly. "Hey-everyone whats-this-world-lole just-try-not-to-get-us-stuck-there-for-a-week-this-time-I-have-plans-for-Christmas have-you-found-out-what-was-behind-that?"

Kibin arrives quickly as well, looking confused again over at Jade.

Janet shakes her head, "We have no evidence to determine the person or people behind the sabotage. As you can see, the technical staff are double checking everything before you go through again."

Jade says, "I-hope-we'll-have-a-bit-more-in-the-way-of-provisions-this-time-just-in-case! How-are-relations-with-Earth-947-going?"

Xing-Liu offers a wave to Ms. Farrel, then to everyone else, looking a little curious.

Olivia nods and smiles to Xing, "You are in for a treat." she says happily.

Janet asks you to look at a large screen monitor. "This is what has come from the camera mounted on the probe we sent through earlier." It seems at first as if there's been a mistake. It shows the riftgate room.

Jade studies the image looking for differences.

Janet tells Jade, "Very well. We've sent over a cold fusion system. With that they have been able to keep the lasers running for twenty four hours a day instead of only when there was solar power. Your suggestion I believe, Jade."

Olivia watches the image as well, curiously.

Xing-Liu nods once she gets the idea of what she's seeing, looking at Olivia inquiringly.

Jade nods.

Jade spots a few differences in the design of the control panels. The room on display looks a bit shabby, and there's a layer of dust on almost every surface. Taped up on one wall is a team rostra bearing the names: Mindshape, Icecold, and Moondark."

Jade points out the differences to everyone.

Olivia looks over at Xing-Liu and then nods, "This gateway, takes us to alternate earths. The monitor shows another alternate one." she smiles.

Janet nods. "Atmosphere, temperature, radiation, all read normal. You're spotted the differences. The room has been empty during the last twenty-four hours of probe monitoring."

Jade says, "Not-surprising-given-the-dust."

Kibin replies, "I'd guess that there was some sort of accident, and they shut the project down."

A slight frown comes over Xing-Liu when she hears that, nodding. She takes a breath, then she looks ready. [OOC] Jade gets very Holmesian. :)

Janet nods again. "It's not a thick layer of dust. I'd guess a month or so depending on how dusty the environment is. You might notice there's some hand marks on one of the control panels that are newer but even they have dust over them."

Kibin hmmms. "Or one world they went to didn't quite like it, and went back through the rift and invaded it."

Olivia stays quiet and listens for the moment, she is here as muscle.

Jade says, "What-is-our-mission-exactly? Does-it-make-a-difference-that-they-appear-to-have-the-technology-to-reach-us?"

Janet saids, "According to the technicians it's likely their rift isn't functional. Now you'll have to ask Alex for the details but the rule is, as I understand it, that the rift needs a smooth gravitational field. As the rift uses mirco black holes it's not possible, so they think, to open up one near another riftgate."

Kibin ahs... "So our riftgate existing makes it impossible for others to exist and work near the same spot?"

Jade says, "Another-riftgate-using-the-same-technology-anyway."

Janet shrugs and nods, "That's what I understand. I could be wrong though."

Jade says, "Actually-so-could-I it's-not-really-my-field."

When Jade examins the probe transmitted image carefully, zooming in the image of the team rostra, she sees at the bottom it's got a line in small print: Shield Operational Command.

Jade says, "Shield-Operational-Command so-not-TransMat-or-Starguard."

Janet looks over Jade's shoulder, "Ah. Interesting. There's a Shield Organization based in Geneva. It's a metahuman run humanitation group. No reason it has to be any connection though."

Jade says, "What-about-their-security-systems? Those-could-be-operational."

Janet says, "They have ceiling mounted weapon systems. They fired on the probe when it arrived. Sonic stun weaponry. The weapons only fired once and then ceased."

Jade says, "It's-an-issue-likely-to-arise-again it-is-possible-to-alter-the-point-of-arrival-or-is-this-equipment-immobile?"

Janet says, "We can alter the arrival point, but it requires recalculation of the rift, and that's a bit of a hit and miss affair. Just as likely to move to a different dimension as move the arrival point on that dimension.

Kibin frowns. "Maybe someone else should go through first then, and disable the sonic stun weapons if they're still active?" he asks.

[To Kibin] Jade says, "We're-the-metas-which-I-think-makes-us-most-likely-for-the-task."

Olivia cocks her head to the side, "Um, I would recomend one of you though." she says as Kibin speaks. She bites her lip a bit.

Kibin nods, replying, "Yes, you or one of the other metas. You don't have as sensitive ears as me."

Xing-Liu raises her hand, stepping forward to volunteer.

Jade says, "So-Xing-Liu-or-me-it-seems."

Olivia shakes her head, "Sonic things and I don't get along well." she says and shrugs.

Jade says, "So-when-do-we-go-and-what-are-our-instructions?"

Janet "Go when you're ready to. You mentioned provisions. If you speak to Edward," She indicates a man standing with a clipboard in hand, "he'll organize packs for you with whatever you think might be useful. As to instuctions, scout the other side and if there are people there try to make contact."

Kibin nods, looking to the others. He asks, "Do we really need provisions? It's probable that there are people not in an ice age on the other side."

Jade says, "Probably-not-but-it's-a-matter-of-being-safe-rather-than-sorry I-think-as-a-rule-perhaps-we-should-carry-some-food-and-water and-a-first-aid-kit-and-a-tool-kit."

Edward makes notes on his clipboard. "Anything else?" he asks.

Olivia nods and steps over towards Edward, "I just need five hundred feet of climbing rope, and some climbing gear, pitons, hammer, clips, things like that." it seems that is all she thinks she will need.

Kibin thinks for a bit, then shakes his head. "I can't think of anything else I'd need really."

[To Olivia] Jade says, "Oh-what-do-you-have-in-mind?"

Edward nods although his face speaks silent volumes. o O(Where do I get that? Ah, maybe a camping shop?)

Olivia looks at Edward, "Never mind, I will get that to bring next time." she looks at Jade, "Can never have enough rope, useful for all sorts of things."

Jade says, "That's-true-enough."

Xing-Liu offers Edward an encouraging hand on his arm, smiling.

Jade says, "Well-I'm-ready-to-go-as-soon-as-we-have-that shame-we-can't-tell-much-about-the-world-from-the-pictures."

Edward nods, "I can have them ready for next time, Ms Diamond, if you're willing to go without today."

Olivia nods, "THank you, that will be fine. If we absolutely need them today, we can come back and try again later."

Edward smiles, "Thank you."

Kibin nods back at Olivia. "I highly doubt we'll need them anyway."

Jade says, "We-probably-usually-won't-need-what-we-take-but-it-still-makes-sense-to-be-prepared."

Jade waits impatiently for Edward to get things together.

Edward returns with everything that been requested including the climbing equipment. "There was some stuff in the stores. Starguard left a lot of gear behind when they handed the building over." he tells Olivia.

Jade sets to packing things. She's brought her own backpack (she often carries one around anyway).

Xing-Liu lets the others prepare, having a penchant for self-reliance most of the time.

Janet wishes everyone good luck.

Kibin makes a pack of food and stuff he can eat with his unique diet, putting it in a standard starguard pack.

[To Xing-Liu] Jade says, "So-are-you-going-through-first-or-am-I?"

Xing-Liu smiles, stepping toward where she needs to go.

Olivia nods and smiles, "Thanks," she says and puts on the pack with the climbing stuff, being the only thing she really needs.

Jade lets Xing-Liu go first. She activates her force field as a precaution.

On alert, Xing-Liu moves through quickly, ready to duck and avoid things pointed at her in a threatening manner.

Jade follows Xing-Liu through pretty smartish, and with the same attitude.

Kibin stays in here, watching through the monitor.

As Xing-Liu through the rift into the other dimension the ceiling mounted weapons fire at her.

The probe sensors pick up the firing. Janet confirms, "Sonic stunners."

The sonics make the dust in the room vibrate and fill the air with a fine haze. None of the weapons hit the fast moving target though and after the first burst the weapons cease firing.

The weapons do not fire again when Jade follows Xing-Liu.

Kibin comments, "Seems like they expected the targets to drop after the first blast.

Xing-Liu moves to one of the cannons, looking it over thoughtfully, seeing if there is a discernable "eye" module.

Jade moves to cross the room and disable the weapons, so that the other can follow without being fired on.

Janet says, "That's the same pattern that happened when the probe went through."

Olivia cocks her head to the side, "Well, guess that means I should go." she says and looks at the other two before moving to cross, "Well I get hit, I get hit." she says and shrugs a bit.

They don't fire on Olivia either.

Kibin huhs, stepping through the rift after those two. "Guess they only work in a short timeframe too."

Kibin replies back to Olivia, "They seem to be only stun weapons."

When Xing-Liu checks she can see a lens is part of the weapon system, whether merely for tracking or able to transmit images is unknown.

Olivia nods and shrugs, "Maybe, They are still sonic, my crystaline body structure doesn't like sonic weapons." she smiles a bit and then looks around, "What's next?"

Xing-Liu looks around for something to cover the discernable widget with.

Kibin replies back to Olivia, "Same with my ears. I'd like it if you didn't use any dog whistles around me."

Jade plays about with a penknife for a bit. "There, that one won't fire again - they have a recharge time."

The weapons, with the exception of the one Jade disabled and the one Xing-Liu is blocking the sensor of, swing around to fire again.

The sonic blasts miss their intended targets. But in the confined room the echoes hurt Kibin's ears and make Olivia ache.

Jade goes to disable the next weapon as soon as the recharge cycle is entered again.

Olivia shivers and shakes her head, "Hurry," and with that she looks for a place

Jade says, "Why-didn't-you-wait-till-we-shut-the-weapons-down?"

Kibin rubs his head a bit. He looks for a door to go through, trying to open it.

Xing-Liu frowns, and simply puts her hand over the sensor, pointing at Kibin and the last gun suggestingly.

Trying the door to the room Kibin discovers it is locked.

Jade disables the last gun, and looks about for cameras.

Kibin tries out the key for the riftgate back home on the door here. Hey, similar room and such, it might be the same lock.

The combination Kibin tries results in a red light from the keypad lock.

Jade goes to have a look at the lock.

Jade says, "Unfortunately-I-don't-really-know-anything-about-breaking-and-entering."

Olivia moves over to the door next to Kibin and knocks on it.

Xing-Liu looks around for a way to scout the area.

Kibin tries two more random combinations. Either he randomly gets it right, or sets off the alarm and alerts someone to the fact that people are here.

Jade says, "Let's-just-hope-they-don't-gas-the-room-or-something-when-people-get-the-codes-wrong...."

Xing-Liu holds her breath.

While Jade is looking at the door lock Kibin tries another two combinations. There's a clicking sound from the lock followed by a hissing as gas starts flowing into the room from the small air vents.

Jade dives back through the gate.

Kibin frowns, and then quickly runs back through the gate as fast as he can. Bad idea.

Olivia blinks, "Did you bring gas masks?" she asks the others. "If not might want to go back through." she looks around and mostly just waits.

Taking a running start, Xing-Liu heads for the door to break it open the way she is used to breaking doors open. Full-force and potentially self-injuring.

Janet has been watching. "Jumps before looking. I see Kibin's Starguard file was correct despite his denial." she says as Jade returns."

Jade says, "Yes-still-he-has-a-dinosaur-brain-maybe-it's-to-be-expected have-any-gas-masks?"

Kibin asks Janet, "Well, does this room gas the place when the wrong combination is put in?" He glares over at Jade.

[To Kibin] Jade says, "It-did-seem-the-sort-of-thing-someone-might-do would-you-have-relied-on-those-guns?"

Janet looks to Edward who nods. "Yes. Let me check the probe monitoring." He does, "It's a knockout gas. We have masks for that."

Olivia watches the other two head back through the gate and then looks over at Xing-Liu and ponders if she is going to make it through and thinks she might need to go and smash the door herself.

Kibin replies back to Jade, "Well... I'd at least have some sort of alarm if someone survived the sonic blasts."

The Questonite door easily resists Xing-Liu's charge.

Janet nods to Jade and Kibin, "Gas is our second line of defense here."

Xing-Liu manages to daze herself, bouncing off the door handily.

Xing-Liu comes to really quickly, still holding her breath. She looks around in mild disorientation.

Jade nods, holds her breath, and jumps through to pull Xing-Liu out.

Kibin asks Janet, "What's the third line of defense, assuming neither the sonic nor gas works?"

Janet smiles, "Me."

Janet adds, "Don't even ask about the fourth line of defense. It will only make you nervous."

Kibin replies back to Janet, "I'm... curious now as to what the fourth line of defense is now."

Xing-Liu moves with Jade, not resisting in her present state.

Janet shakes her head, "I told you not to ask."

Jade leads Xing-Liu back through the portal.

Kibin says back to Janet, "I'm still really curious now."

Janet whispers in Kibin's ear. "Did you know the Questonite walls of this room can withstand a nuclear device being detonated within it. We are not going to lose our planet from an invasion through the rift under any circumstances."

Olivia continues to stick around, being gassed, not that it does anything. She is waiting for the gas to be taken care of and figure out what might be next.

Jade says, "We're-going-about-this-the-wrong-way trying-to-break-through-makes-us-look-hostile."

Jade says, "Much-better-to-get-a-camera-working-and-try-to-talk-to-them of-course-that-would-have-been-easier-before-the-room-was-filled-with-gas."

Back where Olivia is in the other dimension the gas is being pumped out of the room and replaced by fresh air.

Kibin blinks at Janet a bit, surprised. "Um. Okay. Chances are that trying to break out of that room is a really really bad idea then, if it has the same defenses."

Olivia still looks like a teenage girl for the most part, just with a pack over her shoulder. She smiles as the gas is pumped out, "Hello? Can I talk to someone in charge?" she calls out to the room, just in case it is being monitored.

Jade observes the sensors. "THey're-pumping-fresh-air-back-into-the-room-it's-possible-they'll-be-checking-to-see-who-they've-caught."

Jade says, "Let's-go-back-in-case-they-check I'd-still-like-to-borrow-a-gas-mask-though."

When the air is clear of gas, before Edward returns with the gas masks from store, the door into the room where Olivia is clicks and opens. Standing behind it is ... Lorelei? Only not the same. She looks like Lorelei in general appearance but Lorelei doesn't have fairy like wings or a white glow around her.

When the gas is clear, Xing-Liu returns to the place, now having an idea of what to expect. She waves to greet the fairy Lorelei person.

Mindshape smiles, "Sorry about the rude reception. We didn't know what might come through. Not that we ever got the gate to function. I'm called Mindshape."

Jade notes the air is clear and heads back through the portal.

Kibin walks back through the gate, waving in a friendly manner to Mindshape.

Mindshape asks, "You're from another dimension?"

Olivia dips her head, "The others of my team will probably be coming through, "I am Olivia, also called Olivia Diamond, If you never got it to work, I take it someone else did and you have had problems before?" she shakes her head, "I am being rude, sorry. The reception could be expected." she nods to Mindshape, "Yes, and this is the second one we have visited."

Jade says, "Ah-we-noticed-your-name-on-the-duty-roster my-name's-Jade yes-we're-from-another-dimension."

Kibin nods back to Mindshape. He says, "We came through a riftgate of our own which... works."

Mindshape, "So you got your gate to work. And the theory that other dimensions are very like our own is true. That's fascinating."

Xing-Liu sees about getting a peek through the door to the rest of the dimension.

Olivia smiles, "Yes, I thought so too, if possible we would like to discuss the possiblity of opening relations between our dimensions." she smiles and looks at the others and then back.

Jade, from habit as much as anything, looks Mindshape over to see if anything is t be learned from her appearance.

Mindshape nods, smiling in a charming friendly manner to each of you, "Of course. Our leaders will want to speak with you. I'll arrange for a fast vehicle to be sent to take you to speak with the council at Shield Headquarters. While we're waiting, perhaps you might like to talk to our gate designer? She'll be so curious about what needs to be done to get our gate working."

Kibin suggests, "Have you tried moving the riftgate to another location?"

Jade says, "Well-none-of-us-are-ourselves-experts-on-that but-we'd-be-glad-to-meet-people-here-of-course!"

Olivia nods, "Unfortunately I do not know anything about the design, and I have a feeling that they will wish a treaty of some kind to be signed before sharing of technology can occur."

Mindshape smiles, "Oh, treaties? Such foolishness. Gadgeteers pay no heed to that kind of thing. So none of you know how your gate works?"

Xing-Liu shrugs slowly, completely lost in the workings of gates. She continues working on a way to look past the door that Mindshape stepped through.

Kibin replies back to Mindshape, "Well. I know that you go through one end of the gate and come out the other. That's... pretty much it, really."

As Jade observes Mindshape it's obvious that Mindshape is paying it down but she's clearly used to being in a high status position, used to being obeyed. She's also obviously very wealthy, exquisite jewely, very fine quality clothing, etc..

Jade says, "I-have-some-grasp-of-the-principles-but-a-working-gate-is-a-very-recent-development perhaps-you-could-tell-us-a-little-about-yourself-and-this-world?"

Mindshape nods, She smiles at Kibin, "Are you from the other dimension your companion spoke of visiting? Or do you have star travel on your dimension?" Then she tells Jade, "Yes, of course. I'll be happy to."

Kibin shakes his head at Mindshape. "No, I come from the same dimension as those two. My appearance right now is kind of a long story."

Jade says, "Good-and-of-course-we'll-be-happy-to-tell-you-about-ourselves-and-our-world."

Olivia nods, "Unfortuately I don't, I am sorry." she says, "And I am from the same as them, just definitely a bit different." of course her skin is sparkling, as is her hair and then the gem faceted diamond eyes.

Mindshape says, "We have a single governing authority for the planet. The Council of the Shield. The headquarters is located in Geneva. You will want to travel there to speak with the Council of course."

Xing-Liu makes her bid at sneaking out.

Jade says, "Yes-I-suppose-we-will we-have-an-earth-government-but-most-power-still-lies-with-individual-nations what-is-the-Shield? I-notice-that-this-is-a-Shield-operation."

When Xing-Liu sneaks past the doorway she sees a Questonite lined corridor with cells on each side, very like your home dimension setup. The cells are empty. At the end is another door with a keypad.

Xing-Liu sneaks back when she gets a look in the corridor beyond.

Mindshape tells Jade, "Shield started as a humanitatian organization staffed by Hypergenes. With the passing of time it took on more of the duties of individual governing bodies until, eventually, it just seemed sensible to turn all authroity over to it."

Xing-Liu looks mildly disturbed to hear that.

Mindshape smiles, "This facility is effectively closed. It was only when the gate room alarm was set off we realised what was happening. Would you like to come to the local Shield Base until the transport arrived? We can be more comfortable there."

Jade says, "Hm-on-our-world-governments-tend-to-be-representative-democracies-of-one-flavour-or-another-though-there-are-exceptions."

Jade nods. "That-sounds-like-a-good-idea." If just to see more of the world!

Xing-Liu seems to share Jade's sentiment, if a little warier.

Mindshape frowns, "What a silly idea. Democracies would work if everyone was equal but that obviously isn't the case. Would you put someone in charge of farming because they have a pretty face and winning smile? If I was controlling the farming in this district a lot of people would go hungry."

Kibin replies back to Mindshape, "The person with a pretty face and winning smile people would listen to better, however."

Jade says, "I-agree-with-you our-government-are-all-too-often-full-of-idiots the-strength-of-a-democracy-of-course-is-it-provides-a-bloodless-way-of-getting-rid-of-tyrants or-that's-the-notion-though-history-shows-it's-not-brilliant-at-that-either still-on-our-world-they-seem-attached-to-the-idea."

Mindshape shrugs, "Maybe." she tells Kibin after a moment's hesitation. "There's nothing wrong with a competent tyrant. It's incompetent ones you have to get rid of." she tells Jade. "Incompetents don't get authority in our system of governance."

Olivia nods as she listens, "It has changed over the centuries. The democracies tend to work better than the monarchies and dictatorships did, at least from what I have seen. Of course it has led to wars." she shakes her head a bit."I would make a bad leader."

Olivia remembers somethin, "Hypergenes..would be your term for metahumans?"

Jade says, "THere's-nothing-wrong-with-a-competent-and-benificent-tyrant. Perhaps-our-world-has-been-short-of-that-combination-though."

Kibin says, "If I remember one of my history classes right, that's how Athens became a powerful city-state... up until he died and a not so competent tyrant came to power."

Mindshape nods, "No system is perfect but we don't have wars. Shield has put an end to warfare. Anyway, if you'd like to come this way I'll take you to somewhere a better than an abandoned research facility."

Kibin asks Mindshape, "What about revolts?"

[To Kibin] Jade says, "Of-course-the-downfall-of-Athens-was-caused-by-a-stupid-democratic-decision."

Mindshape steps to the side to let you go into the corridor.

Xing-Liu nods, ready to follow the Mindshape person.

Jade follows Mindshape too.

Olivia sighs as her question is missed and nods, "Alright, lead on." she isn't really worried about making it back if need be.

Kibin replies back to Jade, "Democracy is the worst system of goverment. Except for all of the others that's been tried. I think that's how that quote goes..."

[To Kibin] Jade says, "Exactly-we-still-need-to-try-a-good-one."

Mindshape, "Well, yes, there are always small groups who just cannot see their way to accepting the current system. In such cases we find out the reason and deal with it. More than one rebel has found themselves in authority and having to solve the problem they championed."

Jade says, "Interesting!"

Kibin hmmms, and nods. "Is interesting, yes."

Mindshape, "If you'd like to go down to the door at the end. I need to shut this door before that one will open."

Jade goes down, unsurprised to learn this.

Jade says, "It-may-interesting-you-to-know-that-you-resemble-someone-on-our-world though-she-lacks-the-wings."

Xing-Liu moves into the corridor.

Mindshape looks interested, "I do? Is she also a district commander?" she asks as she shuts the door to the gate room.

Jade says, "No-actually-she's-a-model-and-actress a-very-famous-one-I-should-remark. What-is-a-district-commander-exactly? Clearly-nothing-to-do-with-agricultural-government!"

Mindshape answers Jade, "As a district commander I control this city. Another district commander controls the farming areas around the city. I'm responsible to the Council for maintaining order and seeing the city meets its resource requirements."

Kibin asks Mindshape, "Resource requirements?"

Mindshape moves up the corridor and enters a combination into the keypad hiding her movements with her body. "Yes. The city needs food and raw materials. It produces manufactured products. Those have to be kept in balance."

Jade says, "A-very-managed-economy-by-the-sound-of-it-which-doesn't-surprise-me-from-what-you-said-about-the-government."

The door opens. Waiting on the other side are two more almost familiar figures. A small flying female much like Wasp, and a Dark shrouded humaniod resembling Spirit in shape.

Kibin asks Mindshape curiously, "Do you have a good bioengineer here, by the way?"

Once again demonstrating her capacity to not simply act before thinking, Xing-Liu does not attempt to make contact with the Wasp look-alike to see if she has the same phobia.

Jade thinks. o O (The parallels are striking considering how much is different.)

Mindshape tells Kibin, "No. They were all executed after the take over."

Kibin ohs...

Xing-Liu looks even more wary now, hearing that.

Jade says, "Executed?"

Mindshape nods, "Yes. Hypergenes must be kept pure so there was no need for them. Plus there was the risk they might have tried to modify Normals towards Hypergene status. It was decided their utility was negligible so eliminating them conserved resources that would have been wasted."

Kibin says back to Mindshape, "So... they were a risk, and you didn't need their skills so you just... Killed them?"

Mindshape smiles, "Yes, of course. They were only Normals. You're all Hypergenes yourselves. What do a few Normals matter to us?"

Xing-Liu halts.

Jade halts, too.

The dark spirit humanoid agrees, "Normals breed so fast it's necessary to cull them frequently anyway."

Kibin frowns. "So let me get this straight.... I'm assuming normals are the working force of this place. They do all of the general labor tasks... while hypergenes are the ruling class sorta, making decisions and stuff. Hypergenes who rebel are then recruited to try and fix the problems with the rest of the rebelling normals?"

Xing-Liu looks at Jade, focusing on her.

Kibin thinks. o O (It's probably a good idea I didn't tell them the story of why I look like this then...)

The Waspy little flyer laughs, "Who cares if Normals rebel? They have no power. They will be killed. Hypergenes don't care about them. After all they killed enough of us during the Hypergene purges before we took over. If a Hypergene rebels they have a chance of killing the next in line towards the Council. Instant promotion if they succeed."

Mindshape smiles at the little Waspy flyer, "Thinking about it?"

The little flyer laughs again, "Always. But not yet. You can sleep easy tonight."

Kibin sighs. "And if you kill a hypergene... you get their position?"

Mindshape nods, "Yes. I shall be on the Council myself one day."

Xing-Liu has stopped, and is not moving forward. Her arms are folded.

Kibin nods. "Right... we have a vastly different system in our dimension."

Mindshape grins, "We'll soon change that. Once we have the secret of the gate from you."

Kibin replies back to Mindshape, "I'm not too interested in changing our system of goverment any."

Mindshape laughs, "Who said you'll get any say in the matter? Better wise up. You can be part of the solution or fertilizer."

Jade abruptly kicks Mindshape.

Xing-Liu attacks Mindshape too, having the same notion as Jade, even without the present telepathic conversation going.

Mindshape hurriedly switches her force field back on.

Xing-Liu grabs Mindshape around the waist, bearing her to the ground with force. The barefoot girl rolls to her feet with ease that makes the whole maneuver look spectacular.

Kibin follows those two leads, considering that they probably did talk this over first. He hopes. Kibin swings his tail around at Mindshape.

Mindshape is on the ground but still conscious and not stunned.

Moondark bursts into high speed flight darting in erratical hard to follow paths that intersect with Jade's and Kibin's positions.

Moondark misses Jade and thus misses Kibin as she tries to adjust.

Darkshade Kneels beside Mindshade and reaches out with a helping hand.

Mindshape goes limp. Her arm where Darkshade is holding her hand as if to lift her to her feet withers and pales.

Moondark shouts at Darkshade, "What are you doing?!"

Darkshade keeps his hold on Mindshade's hand, "Moving up in the Shield Command structure. Stick with me, Moondark. I'll see you get something nice out of this."

Moondark laughs, "I want the waterfront."

Xing-Liu moves to get the Dark Syphon person away from the unconscious person who she wanted unconscious but not dead. Her plans to stop the Wasp-alike are put on hold for now.

Darkshade is knocked over and away from Mindshape.

Xing-Liu sends the dark Spirit to the ground, hard, (really hard!), and ends up standing beside the mini-flying bureaucrat.

Darkshade looks at Xing-Liu in amazement, "Why?"

Xing-Liu glares back, all semblance of her usual serenity gone and replaced by righteousness.

Darkshade spots Mindshade has come back to just conscious. He shouts at Jade, "Your mind control will not work again."

[OOC] Xing-Liu laughs. 'She's a speedster! If she has mind control it can't be that great!' 'Yeah, so?' 'So the best she could have done is "target will take action they don't mind doing"!' '...shutup!'

Jade gives Mindshape another kick.

Mindshape is knocked unconscious again and rolled over along the ground. She begins to stir almost immediately though.

Kibin does a lunging leap at the darkside wasp, spinning and trying to hit the wasp with his tail like a giant bugswatter. He says to Darkshade, "It's called standing up for the right thing, which is not backstabbing your friends."

Moondark is hurled twenty yards across the Shield District and smacks into a wall.

Moondark comes away from the wall she hit in a buzzing fury of wings, straightening up in mid-air and flying back towards Kibin. Some six yards away she brakes herself to a halt and uses her wings to direct the girt and dust of the street at Kibin's eyes.

Moondark uses very _very_ bad language as Kibin manages to twist his head and avoid the hard driven cloud of grit and dust.

Xing-Liu waits for a moment, preparing herself to react to what horrible thing might be thought up by her present enemies.

Jade gives Mindshape yet another kick, putting a bit more into it this time, hoping to put her down for the count this time.

Mindshape goes completely limp on the followup kick by Jade. She's not coming around for a long time.

Darkshade grins as he sees Mindshape down thoroughly unconscious. "You can go back now. I won't stop you." He has a gleam in his eye as he gazes at Mindshape while a dark aura builds around his hand.

Darkshade holds, waiting for the alien hypers to decide.

Xing-Liu affixes her gaze on Darkshade, shaking her head slowly.

Xing-Liu walks to Mindshape's position, and crouches to lift her over her shoulders.

Darkshade looks on worriedly, "What are you doing?"

Kibin runs towards Moondark, swinging and trying to hit her in Darkshade's direction. He says to Darkshade, "Not letting you kill her."

Moondark bounces off another wall and straightens up flying back at Kibin. She tries to fly right through him.

Moondark misses Kibin again with another collection of interesting but not polite words coming from her.

Darkshade generates a ball of darkness in his hand and throws it at Kibin. The ball grows bigger as it travels.

The ball of darkness passes over Kibin's head. When it's past his eyes are featureless black orbs.

Xing-Liu begins moving back toward the portal, taking her movements with care.

Jade also makes her way that way, punching in the door code to open the first door again.

Darkshade sees the direction Xing-Liu is heading in. "If you want to take Mindshape back to your world we'll be happy to let you do that."

Janet and the technicians are waiting on the other side of the rift which is still open in the gate room.

Jade leads the team back through the second locked door without problem and back through the gate.

Janet welcomes the first to return, "Welcome back. That was quick. We saw you had made contact. Have you reached friendly relations with them?"

Jade says, "Didn't-mean-to-bring-one-back-but-they-would-have-killed-her. Still-we-might-want-to-send-her-back. We-need-to-cut-off-relations-with-this-world-for-good."

Xing-Liu carries the unconscious bad person over her shoulders, looking really unhappy. She sets her down by Janet.

Kibin nods at Janet and the others. "Yeah... and no. Unless you consider them volunteering to come over here and enslave 'normals' your idea of friendly relations."

Janet says, "Do you want to send whoever that is back before we close the rift?"

Jade says, "Not-just-enslave-also-kill. Even-the-meta-ruling-classes-kill-each-other-for-promotion."

Jade says, "Yes-once-she-come-to-at-least-she'll-have-a-fighting-chance but-she's-too-dangerous-for-us-to-let-loose-here."

Xing-Liu sets to reviving the unconscious person. Her hands glow.

Janet asks, "If she's that dangerous is it safe to let her come conscious here?"

Kibin replies back to Janet, "I'm not sure... she never had a chance to actually attack us any."

Jade says, "Xing-Liu's-goig-to-wake-her-up-and-then-push-her-back-through make-sure-you're-ready-on-the-button-to-close-the-portal."

Jade says, "It's-a-fair-bet-she-has-abilities-similar-to-Lorelei's which-are-a-lot-more-than-generally-believed."

Janet nods, tells one of the technicians, "Stand by with your finger on the shut-down switch."

Mindshape starts to stir under Xing-Liu's care.

Jade stands ready to kick Mindshape should anything go wrong.

Mindshape seems to go fully unconscious again after a moment of stirring.

Jade says, "What's up?"

Jade chucks Mindshape through the portal pronto!

Jade says, "Close it!"

Mindshape doesn't have time to take control of anyone. But she manages a few words. "Someone will come through to our gate room who knows the gate secret. Sooner or later we'll know it. The sonics or the gas will stop them leaving. So we'll be coming for you. That's a promise."

Jade laughs. "You'll never figure out how to do the ."

Jade says, "I suck at instant technobabble. But you get the idea. If she remembers, I just set them back by 5 years."