Log:ACRO - Ghost In The Machine, Scene 1

ACRO - Ghost In The Machine 2006/02/08 	 Dancing Coyote Eel Karlie Technohammer Armament|Dr. Derrick Jacobs Technohammer|Dr. Roland Hammer Deus Ex Machina

1

A suburban home on the western outskirts of the city of Colonial Bay. It's a sleepy, sterile looking neighborhood, with BMW's and many other cars of its kind. Dr. Hammer's house blends in well. There is a small japanese sports car in the driveway. There are a few cars on the street. A cable van, and a plumber's truck are parked nearby.

The heroes arrive at Dr. Roland Hammer's listed address, and you see a man getting out of a car in the driveway. (That's the Roland object...take a look)

Roland Hammer (Technohammer): A fairly good looking man. He's well built, it seems...one would guess that he's pretty muscular. An odd thing for a scientist. He's bald, and has a dark brown goatee. He's currently wearing lace-up dress shoes, black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a royal blue sportcoat. There's a pair of sunglasses hanging from the breast pocket of his coat, and he seems to smile a lot. A jovial sort.

Dancing Coyote, relieved that the nominal victim is nominally unvictimized, calls out to Dr. Hammer, whom he, um, er, recognizes from photographs, yeah that's it. "Dr. Hammer? Could I have a word?"

Roland stops, and turns slowly, looking at DC from where he's sitting in the van. There's a moment of attempting recognition, and then he smiles, apparently matching a name to the face. "Of course. Would you like to come inside? Or talk out here?"

Eel skates up to Dr. Hammer skidding to stop beside the man. He takes a look around the area. "Inside might be better."

Dancing Coyote seems hesitant. Out in the street is potentially dangerous. Inside the house, potentially more so.

Karlie's senses bring her here, curiosity driving her more than anything at this point. She halts in flight before she gets too close, taking note that the place that is taking up a whole lot more power than usual is nearby. Walking the rest of the way. She eyes the two service vehicles parked outside, focusing on them with a paranoid hunch. Surveillance is her first guess.

Eel says, "Hmm. Then again..."

Dancing Coyote says, "Um... actually... this may seem an odd request, but I think it might be best to talk in the van, if you wouldn't mind."

Dancing Coyote scans the inside of the house quickly, but realizes his senses will not detect Jacobs' presence.

Roland chuckles. "I'd prefer not to, given your current reputation." He places a hand in his jacket pocket, and smiles. "How about the back yard, then?"

Dancing Coyote nods. "I suppose I can't blame you." He looks around and fails to find anyone Roland is more likely to trust, and shrugs. "I suppose out here is as good as your yard." He takes a deep breath, as if not knowing quite where to start.

Eel explains as the group moves to the back yard. "You know Dr. Derrick Jacobs, right? We think he's managed to transfer is brain onto the 'Net. He took control of a Starguard armor earlier today (timeslip right?) and then went on a rampage."

Dancing Coyote nods to Eel. "Yes. And we were concerned he might come after you next."

Roland raises a brow. "I suppose he might come after me. He's tried to kill me before."

The next vehicle to arrive draws Karlie's attention rather quickly once she has a glance at it. The contents are the main thing of note. She follows the group as they move to a backyard location, making some effort to mask her presence. Not easy given the environment but feasible.

There's a sound from Roland's garage, as it opens...only Karlie can see what's inside, since she was being paranoid.

Ellbeth enters from Remote RP Lounge.

Dancing Coyote nods. "We understood the two of you were previously... er... business partners, shall we say?... but had something ofa falling out.

Technohammer: Big. That's the way to describe this huge suit of power armor, approximately 8 feet tall. The suit is metallic looking...and mostly white and blue. The helmet is blue, aside from the darkened visor. The armored torso is blue with the abdomen in white, with a large letter 'T' where a belt buckle would go. The arms and legs are metallic looking...kind of silver, and the gauntlets and boots are blue.

On his right arm is an apparent weapon of some variety, and tube running from his forearm to the armor's large blue backpack.

Dancing Coyote fails to look up at the sound of the garage door, but looks in its direction anyway (360-degree Nray)

The battlesuit comes out of the garage, and rounds the corner to where all of the heroes...and Roland...can see it. Roland looks VERY confused. It looks very similar to the Armament suit you saw earlier. Different weapon systems, though.

Dancing Coyote focuses his perceptions more carefully on the suit, to see if there's anything living inside it.

Eel steps forward, with his force field crackling to life. He puts himself between Hammer and the armor. "Most people keep lawnmowers in their garage, Doc."

Dancing Coyote says, "Apparently, we got here just in time.""

Dancing Coyote casts Protection.

The suit's speakers come to life..."Roland...you need help to protect you, I take it? Where are the members of your team?"

Dancing Coyote focuses his perceptions more carefully on the suit, to see if there's anything living inside it.

Roland glances at Eel, "I keep a lawnmower in there...not that suit."

Eel nods to Roland. To the armor he asks, "What is this, some kind of trick?"

Karlie has a look over the thing exiting the garage, silently annoyed with her lack of ability to tell more than 'it's got power'. Like someone's gouged out her eye. Instantly she focuses on what she can use in the area. Not a lot. The garage might have stuff. A field of violet surrounds her effortlessly. Stealth at this point is pointless given the attention she's made more possible. She steps out a little toward things, and leans against a tree, hands in pockets.

Dancing Coyote takes a few steps towards the suit, then notices Karlie. Uncertain whose side who is on at the moment, he waits to see what happens.

TH answers, "A trick? What do you mean?" The suit continues striding forward.

Dancing Coyote shakes his head as TH approaches. "If you approach Dr. Hammer any more closely I will be forced to consider that a hostile act. Please stand back."

TH chuckles, "Please. He and I are old friends."

Eel says, "That's what we're afraid of."

The voice is similar to the one from the Armament suit, though.

Dancing Coyote says, "You may remain old friends from a distance. I'm sorry, but until I understand the situation I can't take the chance."

TH then turns to look at Roland. "That's not very nice....trying to turn the suit off." The armor's right arm raises toward Roland. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt you now."

Dancing Coyote takes his held and tackles the suit, ...which ducks under his swinging arms.

Roland blinks...again, looking very surprised.

A burst of rapid fire plasma opens up from the right gauntlet of Technohammer, aimed at Roland. "Time to die, Hammer!" Then it sounds disappointed.... "Non-lethal weaponry? You pansy."

Roland dodges, trying to dive for the ground...the plasma fires outward in a spray, hitting hte ground and actually tags the scientist once. He collapses on the ground. The places where the blasts hit are unhurt. No scorchmarks even on the grass.

Eel jumps in front of the power armor and tries to give it a dose of electricity.

Dancing Coyote mutters something not entirely audible, although the words 'van', 'reputation', and 'tabloids' stand out. He seems unhappy.

The suit is zapped, and you hear a 'Ugh!' from the suit....and then laughter. "Roland....Roland...I'm so glad you insulated this thing. Kind of you." The suit turns to look at Eel.

Eel frowns. o O ( #&! )

"Hm." Karlie looks at the besuited man, eyes showing a little electric arc running between and around them. A gentle tug and the two objects she has in hold are brought to her hand. She is focused on the power suit. "So what're you called?" she asks, standing upright from the tree (and no longer basically a sitting duck to any blasts headed her way). "And do y'plan to use that suit for good or for annoying people?"

Dancing Coyote seems incredulous. "I'd have thought attacking the doctor was an answer to that question!"

Dancing Coyote rushes toward the fallen Hammer, trying to pull him around behind the van and make sure he's OK, or take steps to OK-ify him if he's not. //Basically move, grab, carry, and paramedics roll. Not sure I can do this in one phase... if I can't, I do as much of it as I can now.

Technohammer says, "I KNEW I should have just kept control of my own suit. This thing is trash." He takes a swing at Eel with his fist.

Eel shakes off the blow. He felt it, but he skates forward right back at Techohammer. "I've been hit by worse."

There's another arc of electricity....and TH collapses to one knee. "Ow...i didn't think I could be hurt. An odd feeling."

Dancing Coyote whispers to Dr. Hammer. "Does your suit have data transmission capability? And if so, is there any way to disable that capability quickly?"

Eel smirks. "I guess you're a few steps shy of that god-hood thing."

Roland nods groggily..."I should be able to...with my remote..." He checks his pocket. "It's gone. Where'd it go?!"

Dancing Coyote looks around for Roland's remote. It didn't work to do whatever he tried last time, but perhaps Jacobs isn't paying attention to the transmitter-thingies.

"Of course," Eel adds. "I did take down Trinity, so maybe my specialty is laying out pretenders like you, Jacobs."

"Damn." Karlie watches Eel rush back in to zap the suit. "So you don't got a name. Mentioned something about this thing turning you off though." Karlie looks at Technohammer. "My guess is that if you get away, you'll turn that suit from nonlethal to a menace and eventually make an ass of yourself in my neighborhood." She floats a little forward, blasting the suit with a magnetic disruption field.

 Dancing Coyote says, "Eel, if you can eliminate the suit's ability to transmit, it's possible Jacobs would be trapped in it. Roland's remote apparently can do this, but I can't find it."

Eel nods to Dancing Coyote.

There's a scorch which appears on the grass as Tempo comes to a stop, appearing to come out of nowhere. He looks at the suit...and at Roland, looking confused, "Roland! What's going on?"

Tempo: This man looks statuesque...in a wiry kind of way. His costume is solid white, with blue shoulder pads, boots, and a belt. He also has a matching headband on, which hangs down the side of his face...when he isn't running, that is. The creepiest thing is that his eyes are solid grey...like they don't exist.

"Damnit.." Karlie mutters. "Way out of practice..."

Dancing Coyote looks at Roland, then at the man with the when-like coming-out-of-nowhere trick. "Dr. Hammer, is this a friend of yours?"

Roland nods to DC, "Yeah, he's a friend."

Dancing Coyote points to the cable van. "Something's happening there... the van is rumbling, peeling apart!"

Technohammer stands up again, "Took down Trinity, huh? Just a bunch of religious nuts." He raises his arm, and fires at Eel at point blank range.

Technohammer misses entirely, as the blasts scream past Eel. You hear a sigh over the speaker. "Shoddy."

Dancing Coyote continues pointing to the van: "It seems to be altering itself into a humanoid shape."

"Whose van is that?" Karlie asks.

Tempo's fist seems to alight with fire, and he zips off, running past Technohammer twice...once on the way out, and once on the way back.

Tempo tags the armor twice, with a 'clang' both times. The armor starts to topple, but doesn't fall over. "Who's in the suit, Roland?"

Dancing Coyote says, "Nobody's in the suit, but Dr. Jacobs is possessing it psionically.""

Ther'es a slight crunching sound. And laughter coming from the speakers.

You all see it now...the cable van shreds, the metal bending and coalescing to form what looks like a humanoid-looking robot, which looks around.

Deus Ex Machina: It looks like a large humanoid robot, approximately 9 feet tall, and a good 4 feet across. It moves quite fluidly. It is mostly a shiny silverish metal. Its eyes are red glowing lights of some variety, and it has a speaker where a mouth would be. A couple noticeable weapons systems dot the robot. Some kind of chaingun on the right arm...a rocket launcher on its back.

"So basically you've got a possessed suit of power armor with nonlethal weaponry." Karlie hms. "And now it's breaking under the strain of everyone hitting it. And oh, that van's a giant robot now."

Dancing Coyote nods to Karlie. "Yes, that's right. I don't know if the giant robot is friend or foe, but if friend I suggest it get out of Dr. Jacobs' range _quickly_."

Karlie looks at the robot, sending a blast of electricity toward Technohammer after she maneuvers to be flying above. "Dunno if th'robot can speak. It's basically using all the parts of the van to form what it has now. So it could probably hook the radio into voice modulation. Or it will shortly if it feels like talking."

Technohammer doesn't seem to respond to Karlie's electrical blast.

"Maybe sometime I'll even get back t'knowing how t'blast stuff..." Karlie mutters.

Tempo waits, "I don't think I can really hurt this thing." But Technohammer looks over to the robot, "YES! There we go!" And then the suit collapses in DC's hands.

Dancing Coyote swears. "He jumped!"

Laughter emanates from the robot's speaker (taken from the radio in the van). "Now you're all doomed!" And then the laughter gets cut off abruptly. "Urk!"

Dancing Coyote thinks. o O ("Urk"?)

Karlie hms. "Don't think he's th'one who made the robot..."

Dancing Coyote says, "I suspect the robot already has a resident."

Another voice comes out of the speaker. Cold sounding. Flat...no inflection at all. "Dr. Jacobs...I'm very disappointed in you. Time to pay the piper."

"And if Spider were 'round she'd probably ask if the robot's called The Piper and mock the dumb-sounding name.." Karlie comments.

Eel says, "Ok. _Now_ I'm confused."

Dr. Jacobs' voice sounds again, "You? But...you were..." And then the cold voice again, "Dr. Hammer...I haven't forgotten about you either. Your time will come." And with that...the 'robot' collapses into its component parts...metal clattering on the ground.

"Heads up, heroes." Karlie says, landing on the ground to catch her breath after the short exertion. "Unknown enemies of your enemies aren't always friends."

Eel calls out. "Jacobs?"

There's no answer.

Roland stands up, brushing himself off, and rubbing his chin. Looking quite concerned.

"Oh uh. Here." Karlie hands Roland his toys. "Got outta the loop. Dunno who's on what side yet." She shrugs. "Smart programming."

Dancing Coyote shakes his head. "Well, there were definitely two entities present. But they are gone now. Apparently Jacobs is not the only bodyhopper around." He asks Roland and Tempo "Do the two of you have any idea who the van-animator was?"

Eel looks over at Karlie. "I'm guessing that you're on our side, though."

Dancing Coyote says, "Karlie, Eel. Eel, Karlie. I'm not sure Karlie's on my side, but I think it likely that I'm on hers.""

Roland takes back the two devices, and puts them back in his pocket. Tempo answers, "I don't have any idea." He then looks to Roland who answers, "A vague idea, yeah." He takes a seat on the ground.

Dancing Coyote watches, expectantly. "Vague is better than none. Your show, doctor."

Roland looks up at everyone. "I used to be a scientist for ACRO. As was Dr. Jacobs. Both of us left their employ, taking our work with us." He motions to the suit.

Dancing Coyote nods.

"I'm on my side. Raving nuts always come around to Harrisburg and make an ass of themselves if they're left unchecked." Karlie shrugs. "THis one seemed more methodical than raving but I dunno if he still exists now. Seems likely. Whatever took over that van probably has his pattern locked in a computer somewhere."

Eel smirks and comments aside to DC. "I think I like her already."

Roland continues, "Prior to that, Derrick was a bit jealous of me...thinking I was getting all the glory, and tried to kill me with one of hte tests we ran. So, that's the point at which I left, and formed the Hammers. Derrick tried to follow in my footsteps a bit, and failed."

Dancing Coyote continues to listen to Roland, but nods briefly at Eel.

Dancing Coyote thinks. o O (Hammer's Hammers? (sigh))

Roland nods to himself, and says, "Derrick was using hte original prototype suit. The Armament one. And tried to rob the mall. Where he ran into Random Factor. Who...gave the guy a job with Starguard." He chuckles.

Dancing Coyote nods. "I heard about that. Seems insane to me. But that's Starguard."

"Huh. So talking dinosaurs and armored criminals are who they let in nowadays.." Karlie murmurs, thoughtful.

Roland smiles, "Anyway....when the ACRO base out under the prison was assaulted, there was a robot that was the 'leader'. We in the R&D division had always called it Deus Ex. Kind of a joke. Turns out, it really wasn't much of a joke. The AI seemed to jump from the robot, and then Celestra offered to study the suit. The city turned her down, and asked Starguard for help. And they put Jacobs on the case.

Dancing Coyote nods. "So he figured out the 'jumping' trick from Deus Ex's... er... corpse?"

"Maybe he struck a deal." Karlie shrugs. "ANd betrayed Deus."

Roland says, "And....based on what we just saw....Jacobs managed to figure out how to pull off something similar. I'm guessing that the 'robot' was Deus Ex." He shakes his head, "Not a corpse. A vessel. Something designed to hold its consciousness. I'm guessing, based on the research I've seen on it, that it takes an incredible amount of power to run something that isn't designed to house that kind of AI.

Roland smiles, "But, I'm not a cyberneticist. That was Derrick's field. Mine is plasma technology."

"Seemed to be able to use the van's natural power just fine," Karlie points out. "Vehicle batteries aren't exactly high voltage."

Eel nods to Karlie. "That'd be my guess." Turning to Roland: "So the original vessel is in SG custody, right? Maybe we can track the AI by it's power consumption. Doc Wyrd taught me that trick."

Dancing Coyote nods. "So you have a rogue AI with some kind of matter-shaping capability active for some time now, appearing here to intercept Dr. Jacobs before he could kill you. Yet he does not appear to be your friend. Any idea why he would act to defend you?"

Roland shrugs, "I believe it's still there, yeah. Probably in pieces now, with a schematic written up on it. Derrick's nuts, but he's methodical when it comes to science."

Roland shakes his head, "No idea. Future plans? Wanting to drag things out? Maybe he hates Derrick more?"

Eel chuckles, finding something funny. o O ( They send _me_ to jail, and they give _him_ a job. )

"Circumstantial." Karlie says to Dancing Coyote. "Deus lacked inflection. No vocal tone change. You're looking at this like it's got human motivations."

Dancing Coyote says, "Human? Not especially. But motivations, definitely."

Karlie: Karlie is your average blonde teen girl, wearing yesteryear's fashions and only slightly good repair with them. Her disposition is best described as "mean" most of the time, eyes blue and usually a bit narrowed. She stands about five feet six inches, a heavy brown overcoat over a grey set of sweatpants and shirt, and a pair of mismatched sneakers she found in a dumpster somewhere.

Dancing Coyote says, "So. Any idea what your plans are now, Dr. Hammer? You seem to have collected some powerful enemies."

"All I'm saying is that it arrived and stood there until Jacobs hopped." Karlie shrugs. "Then it took him away after giving an ominous kind of warning to Doctor Hammer. Typically when you tell someone their time will come it's not in a nice way."

Dancing Coyote nods to Karlie.

Eel shrugs. "I don't care so much about its motivations if we know how to find it. Any ideas on that, Dr. Hammer?""

Eel looks at the modified van. o O ( Barricade's not gonna be too happy. )

Roland chuckles, "I've been collecting them for a while. I just didn't realize HOW powerful they had gotten." He stands up again, "I have no idea what I'll do. Fix my lawn for one. Perhaps try to modify the cybernetic link in my suit to make myself safer. Or cut off communications, so no one can jump in." He looks to Eel, "Well, all I know is about the organization's motivations. By extension, that might carry over..."

Dancing Coyote mms invitingly.

"'long's you're not gonna annoy me I can maybe help with the prevention part." Karlie tells Hammer. "Seems likely you're not gonna annoy me."

Roland says, "ACRO is all about greed, and more indirectly, about control. They sell illegal weapons to the highest bidder. People like Pride. Their more indirect goal, is to become the power-behind-the-power-behind-the-power.

Dancing Coyote blinks, parsing that. "OK..."

Roland smiles, "I know it sounds complicated. But, look at the last election. Pride was pushing Barnwell's, buttons, right?"

Roland smiles, "Who pushes Pride's?"

Dancing Coyote nods, slowly, then shrugs. "I have no idea."

Roland nods sagely, "And no one checks that deeply. They're power brokers."

Dancing Coyote seems to be trying to follow this. "So... they neutralized Jacobs as potential competition?" he asks hesitantly

Roland smiles again, "The nail which sticks up furthest gets hammered down first. They try to not stick up at all." He looks to DC, "No...I think there's something personal. Both Jacobs and I left ACRO without their permission."

Roland continues, "And...Jacobs apparently just learned something important out about Deus Ex. Which meant that he had to be silenced before he bragged too much."

Tempo pipes up now, "Which he's prone to doing."

"Or I can leave you t'do whatever it is you do in there. So whose vehicles are those? Find it funny that a cable guy and a plumber'd stop at the same time." Karlie mentions.

Dancing Coyote nods. "I see. Though I don't understand why this Deus Ex AI thing did not act sooner, if -- ah. Ah. Yes, that makes more sense. In which case, perhaps further study of its... vessel? is appropriate. Perhaps it has some weakness Jacobs became aware of."

Eel hmms. "That makes some sense -- Jacobs found out about Deus X's body hopping trick."

Roland shakes his head, "They were for the people across the street. I think the husband over there can only stay home one day a week to deal with their kid, and schedules appointments for those days."

"Huh. Guess the plumber's gonna be billing for a little more than usual..." Karlie rises into the air, and begins to head off, lesiurely pace.

Dancing Coyote says, "So, Dr. Hammer... I realize you are not a cyberneticist, but is there one you would recommend that we could trust?"

Roland shakes his head, "Not...really. None that I'd trust with my life."