Log:Robots at School

Don't Count Me Out Yet 2008/05/08 	 Lightray Narosia Rebound Sable 1

Don't Count Me Out Yet, Scene 2
Duploids: Robotic constructions looking like a cross between a spider and a praying mantis. Each is some eight to nine feet in length. They are eating the Elementary School buildings. There are five of them visible.

Reports go out on the city media. The elementary school in Harrisburg is being attacked by some kind of robots. Fortunately the school hasn't been repaired from the fighting against the Horde and isn't in use so no children are in danger. The robots are clambering over the interior structure and seem to be eating it away. Police are somewhat absent. There's one patrol car with two officers and that's it.

Members of the Harrisburg watch are standing outside the school scrowling and looking restless.

Rebound glides over the area, coming from the direction of downtown. He sails down between the police officers and the watch, coming to a full stop on the ground after a few steps. He turns to the police. "What's the situation?"

Lightray comes flying in, his wings of lights flashing, with a cloaked figure held in his arms. As he lands next to the police cruiser, he gently sets the shorter figure down.

The Harrisburg Watch members are clearly wanting to go inside and take action but they seem to be responding at present to the insistance of a middle aged woman that they stay out and wait.

An oficer tells Rebound, "Something inside the building. I saw movement through a window a few minutes ago.

The other officer of the pair points to the building, "The place is a wreck anyway. No point in us risking our lives."

Lightray looks over at the grey haired woman and then back to building. "Hello Rebound." His attention then turns to the becowled and robed figure. "Shall we head in, my dear?"

Sable leaps from the shadow of a nearby building, arcing high through the air before landing almost noiselessly. Her momentum flows smoothly into a supple forward roll. As she rises her legs start pumping powerfully, driving her quickly towards a nearby windo through which she unhesitatingly leaps, apparently aiming for the silhouette of an unsuspected vandal robot.

Rebound nods to Lightray. "One sec..." He makes his way over to the Watch members, to see what the woman in talking about.

Lightray smiles slightly and then launches himself into the air again. He flies low to the ground, his wings flapping slowly, as he heads into towards the building.

Once inside the building, to be exact a classroom, Sable sees a robot busy eating away the interior wall. It seems to be using a combination of claws and powerful acid.

"We should. Their urge to consume is not slowing." The figure walks, the imitation of gliding due to the cloak, her steps slow so Lightray may make an objection within time.

Lightray does not voice any objections.

The woman is Mary Brown, the nurse at Harrisburg Clinic, and also suspected of being one of the guiding figures behind the Watch. She's telling the Watch members to wait for heroes to arrive but keep the school surrounded and report any robots entering or leaving.

Sable lands nimbly on the far side of the window, the floor emitting a small cloud of dust under the impact. The young woman straightens and spins, her momentum fueling a viciously powerful back-fist which catches it in the arm and slams it into a wall, fragments of paint and dry wall skittering across the floor.

The martial blow from Sable impacts on the robot in the classroom and shatters a limb into dozens of faceted fragments, the force of the strike slamming the robot into a wall.

Grinning underneath the shadowed glare of her hood, Narosia's face looks decidedly cruel as she raises her arms, ready to send the nearest robot smashing, without regret letting loose the darkness, its shape serrated and haphazard.

Coming back onto it's multiple feet the robot turns to face Sable. Some of the nearest fragments to it move back and link into place. It's eyes glow a bright red that becomes a searing laser beam.

The beam of light misses and chars a hole in the wall of the classroom.

Rebound nods. "Hey, Mary. We'll take the robots out and try to keep the school from getting damaged any further." He gives her a thumbs up before springing up into the same room as Sable and Lightray. Once there, he strikes out at the nearest robot with a giant fist.

Though most of Sable's face is hidden by the reflective visor she wears her mouth compresses into a harsh line indicating serious disapproval at her opponent's refusal to stop fighting.

Lightray flies into the building as a field of sunlight hardens around him and a sword of light appears in his hand. He approaches the nearest robot and tries to cut it twain.

Narosia sees clearly her aggression has failed, and after muttering some calming words draws her knees together, mismia of smoky violet black pouring into the scenery.

The robot springs across the room and claws at Narosia. The darkness does not seem to present a problem for it.

The robot claws brush against Narosia's robe but fail to grip her arm.

Lightray curses and tries to get out of the darkness. He heads in what he hopes is the right direction to get out near the robot and will attack it if he can.

Narosia shudders, shocked the hulking brute can see through her dense blackout. Letting loose another crackle of pulsating darkness from her form, the girl swipes out for the metal arm, hoping to push it back.

The robot comes hurtling out of the darkness and slams into a wall minus a leg. It can be noted that the arm that was shattered by Sable is half restored though.

The robot gets awkwardly back onto its remaining five feet and fires a laser beam at Narosia.

Rebound springs forward and tries to land on the robot with a double-footed stomp.

Rebound lands on the robot with a solid blow. He bounces back from the impact and lands on the ground next to the robot in a crouch.

The fragments of the stomped robot tanish and go dull. In just a few seconds they look badly corroded.

Silence descends.

Rebound looks over his shoulder at the other heroes. "That's one down... what now?"

Rebound crouches down to check on the remains of the robot, to get a quick notion of the nature of the construction of the robot.

Lightray says as he flies out into the hallway. "Now we go after the others."

Checking the remaining of the school buildings you discover six other piles of corroded fragments.

The cloud dissapates, curdling in the sudden light. Becowled Narosia nods, silently teleporting next to Rebound, too curious to follow Lightray.

Lightray flies back into the classroom. "The others have all collapsed as this one has." He lands and lets the sword of sunlight disappate into air.

Rebound estimates, although it's hard to be sure with the corrosion, that it looks like super-science tech. He guesses is there was only one robot. As it consumed matter it created a 'duplicate' that was linked by quantum entanglement. In a way there was only ever one robot, just appearing in multiple places.

Rebound crouches over the remains of the robot, picking at the remains with a gloved hand. "Fascinating," he says.

Rebound adds, "In essence there was only one robot, projected over several locations by quantum entanglement. It was using the materials of the school to fuel itself and its projections. It probably started with no projections and increased in number as it consumed more and more of the school."

Lightray smiles slightly. "Fascinating. I understood nearly every word you just used, but none of the science behind it. Fortunately, I understand what you mean."

Narosia says, "...Sorry? You mean...mean...the things were illusions-then how did it effect with ghosts?"

Rebound says, "No, not illusions... It was the same robot existing at different places at the same time."

Lightray looks over at Narosia. "They are a creature that can exist in many places at the same time. The more it feeds, the more places it can be at once." He looks over at Rebound. "Correct?"

Rebound nods. "That's the gist of it."

Narosia brow unfurrows, unseen under the heavy hood. Kneeling down, she perhaps unwisely runs fingers down the largest twisted and fragmented piece, fascinated.

Lightray murmurs, "I wonder if there is an upper limit to how many times it could duplicate itself?" He then shakes his head.

Rebound thinks there's probably only ONE person capable of tech this advanced. A freelance super-scientist named Prof Quantum. He has been linked to dozens of hi tech crimes but never caught.

Rebound says, "Not sure. We can have Starguard take a look at it. They have this wizkid in their tech division who can probably figure it out."

Narosia mumbles, "His name Nils, by any chance?"

Lightray smiles. "I will leave that to you, Rebound. I have had few contacts with Starguard." He looks out the window. "We should probably tell the people out there that the danger has passed."

Rebound looks over his shoulder at Narosia. "I think he goes by the name Winters." He smirks.

"You're right," Rebound says to Lightray.

Rebound says, "There's only one super-scientist I can think of who'd be up to this kind of trick. Professor Quantum."

Lightray nods. "And who is Professor Quantum. And, just out of curiosity, is he a mad scientist for hire?"

Narosia tugs at her hood, "Should we...you-" She quickly admends "-take it without delay to this Professor?"

Rebound nods. "He's a freelance type. I'd be interested in having a chat with the Professor. If we knew how to locate him."

Lightray nods. "Property records for Harribsurg detroyed online and at the City Archives by a mercenary necromancer. An attack on this school by a mercenary scientist. And a visit to Spirit by Nicolai Winter telling him that Harrisburg is in danger." He looks at Rebound. "Interesting is it not?"

Rebound blinks, standing up quickly. "Say what?!"

Lightray smiles. "What part of that is the most surprising? Oh, and a dwarf named Morlock is the one who hired the necromancer."

Narosia bows her head, continuing the tale she heard at the coffee shop. "Property records were destroyed on orders of this Morlock. Miss Winter came in later very agitated...ah, you beat me to it."

Rebound says, "This sounds like bad news. The last time Morlock was involved in something, the Universe nearly blew up."

Rebound says, "He's a fixer-type, and front for someone else."

Lightray looks at Rebound for a moment. "Is it always the same client that he is a front for? Or is he literally a false face behind which stands another being?"

Rebound says, "I'm guessing that it's someone different. I saw his last employer dive through a one-way rift to another dimension."

Lightray nods. "Well, good. Hopefully there is no way back." He looks out at the crowd. "So, what is so important about Harrisburg that it warrants this attention?"

Lips thinning, Narosia is compelled to ask whether the Morlock is of the mystic type, self consiously peering at her robe hem.

Rebound shakes his head. "Not sure. But it's important that we find out."

Rebound says, "What do you know about the necromancer who erased the data?"

Lightray nods. "Well, I am not certain he erased the database, but he did send the creatures that destroyed the physical records at the City Archives. The necromancer himself is no longer a problem. The magicks that had sustained him for 500 years failed I was told by Ellbeth Wyrd. Time caught up with him." He adds after a moment. "In records we found, it seems the man was a member of DEMON, but that he took the job with regards to the records as a private money making deal."

Narosia starts, vaguely alarmed and turns her head to view Lightray unsteadily. "Demon...?" She knows but one type and assumes it is so, "You mean to say D-demons."

Lightray looks over at Narosia and then reches over and lays a hand on her shoulder. "No, DEMON. It is an organization here on Earth. It is composed of men and women who truck with the darkest of Powers. They seek domination of the world for themselves and their Masters. they use both magic and technology to achieve their ends."

Rebound nods. "Doc Wyrd's probably the best resource we have when it comes to magic."

Lightray looks back to Rebound. "She is aware of the situation. She was there to fight the necromancer. I will apprise her of the new information as soon as I can." He galnces outside. "Should we go out?"

Rebound nods.

"Darkest would include-yes?" Narosia nods mutely, moving to the side that Lightray's hand falls limply, though the ghost of a smile can be squinted at under the hood. "Might we meet this Doctor in person?"