Log:Lost Time, Scene 1

Lost Time 2016/12/09 	 Chen Natasha Wolf Griffin Lost|Charles Williams

1

The downtown district, and above all famed York Boulevard, is an area of skyscrapers old and new and the jewel of the city where most of the real money is made. From the lower, older buildings like that of the Colonial Bay Chronicle to the height of the Corporate Tower, the district is alive with bustle through the day; while at night it is well lit by the light of ads and news reporting across the sides of the buildings, and the action is focused on a few clubs and other hotspots.

Natasha is chasing a delivery drone! It's not really as much fun as chasing birds, but Amy seems to get upset if she does that too much, even if she doesn't eat the bird. So delivery drone it is.

Chen makes a living as a secure messenger. She tends to be reliable, and for small things like the data chip she's transporting, the safe and easy option is to swallow it and make her way in a form that nobody usually bothers. Such as Smokey, the cute little wandering kitten.

A police hovercar floats into the area with its lights going, but no siren. The driver and passenger seem to be looking for something. Or someone. The car moves slowly as the officers scan the area.

Griffin is on a rooftop, looking down at the city below. He's wearing his BDUs and has been on patrol all morning.

He stopped to meet his girlfriend on the room for a smoothie break- her taletell green aura can be seen arcing away behind him before the she and the Torus vanish when Griffin isn't looking.

His right foot rests on the edge of the building as he looks down in time to see Natasha chasing a delivery drone. This prompts a smirk from the time-displaced super solider. He watches a moment, leaning out to see the next building over as he considers giving chase himself- if only to improve his mobility when moving through the city.

The downtown district, and above all famed York Boulevard, is an area of skyscrapers old and new and the jewel of the city where most of the real money is made. From the lower, older buildings like that of the Colonial Bay Chronicle to the height of the Corporate Tower, the district is alive with bustle through the day; while at night it is well lit by the light of ads and news reporting across the sides of the buildings, and the action is focused on a few clubs and other hotspots.

Natasha spots the police car and decides chasing the flashing lights is more fun than chasing the drone anyway, so she swoops down to do that. Also, maybe this was she can be heroic! If she can work out what the police are up to.

The police car stops as the passenger spots a particular homeless man. The car lands and both police officers get out and walk toward the man. The homeless person looks...pretty typical for such. Crazy black hair and beard. Military surplus jacket. Torn jeans. And if you get within twenty feet of him, the stench is pretty overwhelming.

Smokey spots Natasha and bounds over to say hello. But the behaviour of the police catches her attention and she stops to watch.

Natasha also stops to watch. Mostly because the guy is too smelly to investigate more closely.

The officers stop about twenty feet from the man they has an interest in. The female officer says, "Sir, we'd like to ask you a few questions. Some citizens were reporting some strange occurrences, and you fit the description of the person in question."

The homeless man looks past the cops, "Yeah, yeah. 27 to 17. Ravens high."

Natasha looks in the direction the man is looking.

Seeing the police car on a silent call spurs Griffin into action. He takes a step back and then races forward- hurling himself off the tower at the last moment.

He begins freefalling- angling his fall to intersect with the police officers, the homeless amn and the dragon- though a bit further afield to keep others from becoming hostile.

He'd just out of earshot as he lands on the nearest corner after activating his gravchute about 20 feet off the ground. He touches down softly- like a feather surrounding in a field of gravimetric energy.

Natasha looks back at the man and tilts her head.

The female officer says, "Did you see anything odd in the last half hour, sir?"

The homeless man stumbles and catches himself on a lamppost.

Natasha poses for the man. So he has an interesting answer to the question. But he seems not to notice.

The lamppost vanishes, leaving a small circular crater in the concrete where it once stood. There's a small 'woosh' as air fills in where the lamp was a moment ago. The man stumbles again, dropping to one knee.

One officer draws his weapon. The other places her hand on hers, but she doesn't draw it yet.

Smokey thinks to herself .oO(That's not something you see everyday. Not even in Colonial Bay.)Oo.

Natasha inhales, ready to do something should it be necessary. Though it's hard to tell if the man or the police need protecting more!

The female officer calls it in. "We have a confirmation of the suspect. Any suggestions on how to take someone into custody who can make people or things disappear by touching them? Over?"

Smokey also closes in to be ready to do something if needed.

There's a garbled response over the radio.

Lost(#2815TOn)

A man that looks homeless. He has long black hair that has that 'crazy' look to it, sticking out in places. His beard matches. The clothing he's wearing includes a military surplus jacket and torn jeans. If one gets close enough to him...the man reeks to high heaven.

Natasha has an idea! Worth a go anyway.....

Griffin is watching from the background, but the drawing of the police officer's weapon prompts his eyes to glow brighter as he pools the enrgy required to fire his eyebeams. He stays behind the homeless man, hopefully out of sight- but he nods to the officers.

Natasha exhales again toward the homeless man, but her breath is like a mighty gale, and when it reaches the man it forms a whirlwind about him!

The homeless man is held in the whirlwind for the time being. "Dave...they're here. What should I do?" He looks around with glassy eyes. "Aliens everywhere. Gotta stop 'em."

Natasha sniffs at the air for invisible aliens. Though she rather suspects this human is even more confused than most.

Sensing a bit of a kindred spirit and having a soft spot for his fellow Vets Griffin tries to intercede on behalf of both sides. The man's instability gnaws at the pit of his stomach.

"Woah woah woah- let's slow down guys, I don't think he's trying to hurt anyone!" He shouts to Natasha and the Officers.

He looks to the man gripped in the throes of a whirlwind and his tone drops considerably.

Is voice smooths and becomes very non-aggressive. "Hey man. I'm no Alien... just a regular guy who wants to help you." He speaks slowly trying to get the Vet's attention.

The female officer says into her radio, "Did you say Starguard, dispatch? See if you can get them to send someone. We're not going to be able to handle this ourselves."

Natasha narrows an eye at Griffin. She was being very careful not to hurt the man and to remove the need for the police to shoot.

The homeless man seems to acknowledge Griffin is there...but he looks in Griffin's vague direction, rather than directly at him. "Why do the aliens sound so weird...like they're trying to be human? Trying to be something they're not?" He reaches out a hand into the whirlwind of air...

...and VORP, the whirlwind is gone in an instant.

Griffin is sure Natasha was doing that very thing, but he'd rather talk the man down if possible, and to do that he's not willing to risk her or the officer's lives to do so.

Griffin tries to change subjects, using a tactic he's used on other people suffering from PTSD and the grueling mental injuries of war.

"You ever serve? I did- a long time too. No one ever tells you its coming home that's the hard part right? I know I still have a hard time, and now, there are real actual aliens walking about. Its weird, for sure. Surreal." He says as he steps forward, each step painfully slow. His hands are held out in front of him to show he's not an aggressor.

Griffin seems unconcerned that he's not the center of the man's attention. Only that he's been acknowledged. He can build from there- he hopes. If he's surprised about hte disappearing whirlwind he makes no sign of it.

Smokey is on edge, hair triggered alert to grab and pull Griffin back, or the poice officers, or deflect a shot by the police.

Natasha just watches and tries to work out how the man is perceiving the world. That might give some clue how to proceed.

The homeless man twitches as Griffin approaches, "I've served. In Delta. I'm serving now, on the front line against the aliens." He looks around, noting the cops. "Aliens everywhere. Like over there." He points to a location of open air.

The homeless guy looks around for something, and picks up a discarded can. He goes to throw it. "I'm gonna hit the alien. Keep an eye on it, soldier." As soon as he throws the can, it disappears, making a VORP sound.

The cops look less on edge now...and more confused.

"Delta huh? Nice- I was a Ranger." Griffin says stopping at a polite distance to the man.

"Duty never ends- I hear you there. But maybe- we can deal with these aliens together- maybe we can find another way?" He says, nodding in the direction the man indicated. Griffin knows that these hallucinations probably feel realer than reality to the man.

His tone is still soothing, "Its cool man... we'll figure this out. Together."

The homeless guy looks back to Griffin. "See?" He motions in the same direction he 'threw' the can in. "How can you not see what I'm talking about?"

"I dunno Brother. I saw what you throw disappear- but I'm not sure what that means." Griffin says calmly. "Something's going on, that's for sure- and we don't want to hurt the very citizens we've sworn to protect so we should take this slow, ok?" He asks, nodding towards Natasha and the police officers.

Griffin feels a sudden pressing in his mind- unused to such things he accidentally allows the psychic connection to Wolf in. Its a strange sensation- memories experienced by someone else- something else entirely. Memories of someone else and this dog helping other Vets.

Griffin tries his best to put on the calming sensations he's suddenly washed over with. Projecting the calm and the energy from Wolf towards the vet- though his inexperience is likely maddening to Wolf.

Natasha speaks, in a quiet soprano with deep rumbling undertones. "I wonder if it may be that the man is not delusional, but rather is in some sense in more than one place at once."

The homeless man starts to backpedal. "Aw... . Here they come. I got its attention." He turns and bolts, trying to run the other direction.

The cops level their weapons at the man, "Freeze!"

"Stand your ground, Soldier!" Griffin shouts, trying to instill some bravery in this man who's clearly seen too much action- be it all in his mind or otherwise.

Griffin also suspects these disappearing objects of his are some symptom of a power he either just got or never had control over.

Griffin's sympathies deepen faster than the surprise of hearing Natasha speak can.

He follows the man- but steps into the street to run parallel to the man as the officers order the man to Freeze. The hairs on Griffin's neck stand at attention.

Natasha flies forward in front of the police. "DO NOT FIRE," she says, with extra rumbling.

Smokey leaps in and grows to form a shield between the fleeing man and the police, "He's running away. You can't shoot him." she says.

The man trips and falls, but something about it looks wrong. It's like he's been hit from behind by something. He struggles on the ground, thrashing about.

Smokey(#2559PeACcF?)

What's more cute than a long haired tortoiseshell kitten? Nothing. Such a thing is simply not conceivable or possible. Smokey, her name is engraved on the silver disc hanging from her collar, is such a kitten. With large pleading eyes and a self-conscious regal manner as befits any cat.

Wolf also pauses to *sniff* the place where the vet was sitting, so that he can pick up his scent.

The male cop says to Smokey, "We also can't let a dangerous delusional man run loose. Got an idea on how to contain him? We already had a report of him making someone who attacked him disappear."

Now that Griffin did see. He turns at a 90 degree angle and cuts in to stand between the vet and whatever just hit him. He prays the Vet doesn't touch him now that his back is turned.

Natasha flies toward the man - or more precisely where the invisible assailant would seem to be. She attacks the air with tooth and claw, while holding her breath against the smell!

Smokey shifts to a youngish female of Japanese appearance. "We need to either talk him down. Griffin is trying that. Or side-step his trick. Get a mentalist here."

Natasha finds to her annoyance, but expectation, that there is nothing but air before her claws.

There's a screech in the air and the sound of another VORP. An arachnoid alien appears out of thin air, wrestling with the homeless man. His strange thrashing seems to make more sense now.

Smokey adds, "Try getting a Fae from the embassy here. I've heard they have this weird vision that lets them see invisible things."

Griffin watches Natasha shred the air in front of him, but he suspects there is nothing there. He reconsiders the dragon's words. "What did you mean he wasn't all in this place?" He paraphrases, still standing defensively near the vet. He turns to make sure he's still there- and not reaching for him.

Natasha doesn't think her theory needs further explanation now. She turns to breathe fire at the newly emerged alien!

The alien makes a screeching noise and lets go of the vet. It scuttles sideways a few feet and looks around slowly. And it looks...hesitant. And confused. If a carapaced eight-legged being can look 'confused'.

The thrashing Alien is hideous to Griffin's eyes- but he's never been one for spiders.

Griffin's eyes brighten in intensity as he readies his own salvo for the alien attacking his Veteran Bretheran.

Smokey shouts, "Hold off! I don't know what's happening but that does not look like a hostile attitude." as she steps in between the alien and everyone else.

The alien curls up, hiding its legs underneath it. It settles to the ground, causing the carapace to turn into a protective coating all over. The action reminds the viewers of how turtles sometimes respond.

The homeless man sits up. "The others ran off. The one that tackled me is hazy now, Dave. I'm not sure where I put it."

Griffin extends the same offer of peace to the alien- now using its carapace as a protective shell. He recognizes that type of action. "If you don't want to be vaporized on the spot- you'll leave this man alone and talk to us..." His eyes glow brighter, but he doesn't attempt to blast it. Griffin has sen plenty of 90s era first contact movies.

The homeless man looks around slowly, "I see it all. Robots. Aliens. Tall buildings. Ruins."

One of the officers says, "I think we have an ID on the guy. Charles Jacobs. Former SGD officer."

The alien makes a chittering noise, but doesn't emerge from its shell that it has created.

"I'll take that as a yes..." Griffin says, happy to be distracting the alien while Wolf works his magic & Natasha backs him up.

The homeless guy totters a little bit, but he seems calm enough. He says quietly, "What's happening? I don't understand."

Wolf scoots over and makes room for Griff

Griffin's hand drops and pats Wolf on the head. "Good boy..." He murmurs, keeping his sights on the Arachnid.

"You're doing fine, Soldier, just fine." He says to the Vet.

"Alright- so it chittered at me... so maybe it doesn't want a fight." Griffin says, announcing this for all to hear. "Lets see if we can open the lines of communication..."

He squats down next to the alien, "Ok one chitter for yes, two for no. Do you understand?"

The alien doesn't respond to Griffin.

This makes Griffin nervous.

But it also doesn't move.

A Starguard Delta hover van shows up, and a couple of armored troopers hop out of the vehicle.

The officers confer with the new arrivals, letting them know what's happened thus far.

"Ok, bugman... that's not looking great for you. Let's try it again- One noise for yes... two for no... otherwise- these guys are here to be the boot man, and that's not good for you, them or us." Griffin's tone is almost imploring- he doesn't want to see any life snuffed out for any reason.

The homeless man rolls onto his side and curls up as well, overwhelmed by the sensory input he's getting.

The Starguard Delta troopers come over to the heroes, "I think we can take it from here. Eesh. What's that thing?" The trooper is looking at the alien.

"I dunno but it doesn't speak English- but I think we have a translator..." Griffin says as he offers the officer his hand and nods towards Wolf.

Chen says, "Scared. Far from home. Let's treat it right until and unless it gives us a reason not to, huh?"

Wolf makes soft, reassuring, friendly dog-noises in case either the Vet or the Alien can hear him. Following Griff's orders, he attempts to add the Alien to their mindShare. Again, Wolf will keep Desol ready in case this goes bad. If Wolf goes nuts from whatever-this-is, he will at least not hurt his friends.

The trooper nods. "Starguard has a couple of good translators. At least Gamma does. We might be able to figure it out once we get them back to base."

The troopers manage to slowly coax the homeless man on board the van. The alien requires being lifted. It doesn't make any sudden moves, though. And it doesn't lash out at them, either. It lets itself be loaded onto the van, presumably playing dead.

Natasha watches, wondering if maybe she shouldn't have attacked the spider. THough she had reason to think it hostile.

"Oh I bet. You mind if I tag along, with our Vic?" Griffin asks the StarGuard agent, nodding towards the Vet. He doesn't want to leave the man alone just yet.

The trooper nods. "Sure. You can come along."

Wolf *sniffs* curiously at the spot where the Alien was lifted out of, and wags happily to see that Griff is going to make sure the Vet is treated well.