Log:New Starguard Adventures, Scene 7

New Starguard Adventures 2016/05/02 	 Abigail Chen Grimm Malcolm Torus Victory 7

Grimm contacted Harlequin who suggesed that she contact Lightray about matters regarding DEMON. She did and explained all she knows about Lionel Bonefinger: that he seemed particularly interested in harvesting Grimm for her powers and he nearly killed her until he decided she wasn't ripe yet. She thinks he's from DEMON, but can't really find proof of that. He has an arm that's completely skeletal. And a medallion and staff. He can summon hell hounds, elemental energy from other dimensions, and teleport. And attacks that affect Grimm when she's in shadow form. And he's willing to attack the innocent.

Lightray has many an old bone to pick with DEMON so he agreed. Appropriate skills that may apply to finding out more about Lionel Bonefinger are, in no particalur order:

Victory walks in from outside. He shows his relatively new offical SGG badge at the desk and he's let through. The receptionist gives him a smile, "Nice to see you again, sir."

Chen turns upat Starguard in the guise of a Dyson vacumm clearer salesman. 'He' goes to the reception desk and explains how 'he' is new on the job and figured that if anyone has a lot of vacumm that needs cleaning it has to be Starguard.

A tall completely robed figure sits in a chair at reception. Apparently, this person is filling out some sort of paperwork for SG. Its/his long graceful six-fingered hands ghost over the borrowed PDA when it is not looking around at the various people in the room. Or so one would assume given the heavy veiling that completely obscures its/his features

For the first time in days, the sun is shining and there isn't a low pressure system just off-shore blowing a steady diet of clouds and cold drizzle over Colonial Bay. Malcolm Gibbs, for one, is attempting to make the most of the weather.

Jogging through Starguard's reception area, Malcolm appears to be on his way toward the airfield from the dark, dingy dungeon that serves as Starguard's motorpool stock room. There's a 50-50 chance that Malcolm saw a g-g-g-g-g-GHOST! (of a long dead military motorcycle) down there while he was retrieving components for slightly less than routine maintenance on one of Starguard's tactical deployment vans.

Tablet in hand, Abby is reviewing the reports on the Wraith and Chameleon. She's not an investigator, but she's got people doing some legwork to try to learn anything she can about the heist and the suspect.

She .. as previously mentioned, doesn't have the right mindset for this, but she is stubborn and so she is still trying to connect the dots as she sits at a desk... flipping from one report to the next and trying to just find -some- pattern in this that she's missed the previous seventy four tries.

The receptionist does her best to remain polite as she tries to explain to the Dyson salesmen. "Look, we already have cleaning services set up. If you want, I can refer you to the office in Washington, where they handle these kinds of contracts, but between you and me, I wouldn't hold my breath..."

Grimm is just stepping out of one of the debriefing rooms after getting a very general rundown on zero-g suit usage that has left her with more questions than answers. Her eyes are cast down to her smartphone, her thumb flicking through the copious notes she took. Reviewing doesn't seem to be illuminating her any on the topic.

Chen tells the receptionist when his initial effort seem to go poorly that he's a close personal friend of Darion Peawitt, the Alpha team leader. "... and I'm sure he'll be very upset if you don't order at least one of the new model vacuum cleaners."

The distraction being both welcomed and annoying.. Abby looks up as she finally hears some of the conversation between the receptionist and the salesman. She sighs inwardly and levers herself to her feet, walking towards the desk.

"I'm sorry for intruding but.. you realize that nobody here -makes- that sort of decision. The purchase of supplies such as the ones you are trying to sell, is done at the logistics offices in Washington. She really was correct in that you're approaching the wrong people about it. Now, if you like, I can contact your friend and have him tell you the same thing?"

The robed figure looks up from his PDA at the mild commotion in the reception room. His head tilts from one side to the other slowly as if he trying to parse out what is going on.

"'Darion'?" the receptionist says, skeptically. "Have a seat over there." She gestures to an open chair next to Robe. "I'll make sure... 'Darion' can come out to greet you." She looks over to Abigail and raises her palms up as it to say, 'It's ok, I'll handle it...'.

Victory stops just beyond the desk, watching the interaction with the salesperson. He raises a brow when the wrong name gets name-dropped. "Hmm."

Malcolm jogs by the reception desk, gear lashed down against his body with metal cables. Where the cables came from is anybody's guess. He pauses a few seconds later and turns back, one eyebrow quirked as he peers at the on-going situation.

Chen grins, "As a supposed salesman, even a dumb one, I ought to know better than think a vacuum cleaner is used to clean vacuum. I got the name of the team wrong, it's Gamma not Alpha. And I got both parts of the team commander's name wrong. And as you said the decision on this kind of purchase is done at HQ level. I assume you don't think I'm a significant enough threat to alert security? But you know there's a shapeshifter on the opposion side. Joking and pranks aside..."

"Pranks aside... you've got a bunch of us standing by paying close attention to you, and others watching other parts of the base. So... your objective was what? To see if you could talk your way past security? Or just to see how long until you were placed under arrest?"

Abigail folds her arms over her torso and adds, "I wasn't planning on starting a scrum here and now, but.. I -was- planning to have you shown the sidewalk... politely at first."

The receptionist draws back a little bit, letting Abigail take the lead in dealing with the salesmen. She hovers back by the corner of her desk. Starguard folks would know that's she's poised next to a panic button.

The robed figure softly clears its voice as it nods to the receptionist. "Apologies. What name is of elliptical planet on edge of system?" It/he has a buttery smooth and deeply resonant baritone voice. The tone is contrite. "Its name is needed for this." He holds up the PDA.

The robed figure's English could be aid to be Scandanavian accented.

Chen shifts back to Chen. "Checking for complacency. Reminding you what you might have to deal with. If I seriously wanted to penetrate your security I could very probably do it. And there's no reason to assume Chameleon is any less adept than I am. And they won't make any deliberate mistakes."

Grimm flips through her notes a little further before lifting her head up to watch where she's going, missing the reason for the mild commotion. She clicks off her screen and slips her phone into her pocket to pay more attention when she hears mention of Chameleon.

"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeen," calls a mildly admonishing Malcolm. He has his arms folded across his chest and he's shaking his head a little bit in the direction of the shapeshifter. "That's not cool."

Nodding, Abigail shrugs her shoulders. "Problem is, when dealing with a shapeshifter who -could- get past all of the available security methods... we can either cripple ourselves with paranoia, or we could move forward and deal with this shapeshifter when we have our opportunity. I would rather not assume everyone is the enemy."

Suddenly the base alarm goes off. "Attention all hands. Set Alert Condition Orange. Repeat: Alert Condition Orange. Response personal please report to the mail room."

The receptionist nearly jumps with surprise and moves away from her desk and the panic switch. "That wasn't me!" she explains.

Chen says quickly, "Not me either. I don't think. Col, we should get together later and brainstorm ways to stop shifters. In the meantime, pair me up with someone who can keep an eye on me. After all, how do I prove I really am Chen?"

Gabrielle Grimm's head perks up at the alarm, looking around and up instinctively at the sound. Her shadow sight senses immediately begin to canvas over the whole building for strange goings on. "Er, okay, which way's the mail room?"

"More to the point, even if you are Chen, how do we prove you are not -also- Chameleon?" asks Abigail with a shrug, "Chen. You're with me. Grimm..." she glances at the room and lifts a brow, "Pluto." she mutters to the person in the robe. She looks to the receptionist and gestures to the robed person... as if silently asking, 'who's this?'... but she adds, Forge, you take Victory with you and see what you can figure out over there. "Grimm.. you're with me and Chen-meleon here."

The robed figure startles slightly at the blaring alarm but does not rise. He/it remains seated as the officer who is obviously in charge takes command.

The receptionist says, "He says he's an alien visitor to Earth -- recently stranded here. He's filling out the paperwork."

"And there goes my quiet day in the motorpool," mutters Malcolm as the alarm goes off. He trudges over to the reception desk and promptly starts shedding his loadout of vehicle parts into an impressive stack. Somehow he does this with those metal cables that were binding everything down against him.

"Sounds like a plan, Lieu," replies Malcolm to Abigail. Properly dispossessed of equipment, Malcolm looks over at Victory and jerks his head in the general direction of the mail room. "Ready to roll, Victory?"

Victory raises a brow, "Report to the mail room? Yeah, I'm all set."

Victory jogs down the corridor, slipping past a couple of SG personnel moving the other way.

Shooting a thumbs up around, Malcolm's other hand lashes out as though using a whip. Immediately a long line of metal lashes out to wrap around something in the ceiling and Malcolm swings off after Victory. There's a good chance some of the Indiana Jones theme would be playing if this were a tv show.

Grimm steps in Abigail and Chen's direction. "Keeping both shape changers under watch?" she asks with a half grin as she tries to feel out strange activity.

On the way towards the mail room, Victory encounters a number of people heading in the opposite direction. It looks as though the section of the building is being evacuated.

Chen morphs to a cuddly sabre-tooth tiger. "I'm with you, Col."

"Guess he's ready to roll. Cover his six Forge." mutters Abby under her breath as she pulls her tablet about and brings up a holo-display. "Voiceprint authorization. Hearns, Abigail. Bring up security feeds from the alert location." she states as she looks at her display. The.. alien visitor... yeah, she's not just assuming he's here to help. But he -is- at least following protocol. "Technically... I wanted a veteran I've worked with often enough to partner up with Victory." she states as she studies the feeds, trying to determine the nature of the emergency. No sense in going off half cocked.

Victory gets to the mail room, and turns on his shield just in case. He then heads into the room and looks around.

The mail room is oddly quiet right now. SG troopers are setting up a perimeter and a crew of technies stand by on the outside of the perimeter. An SG Trooper radios in a status report over the SG radio. "Scanners in the mail room detected an anomalous object, must've come in with today's shipments. We've cleared the room. Not quite sure what we're dealing with yet."

The robed fidure stays behind in reception. His voice may trail as the door closes, "This happens often, yes?" to the receptionist.

Malcolm skids across the floor as he lands behind Victory, coming to a stop at the far edge of the door frame. He straightens himself out and pops on his tactical headset, synching up with Starguard comms as he follows Victory past the perimeter into the mail room.

Victory and Malcolm reach the perimeter. The trooper in charge greets them with a nod. "Hey. Not quite sure what we're dealing with yet." He steps aside as Malcolm moves past him into the room.

Chen says, "Col. Advise Victory and Malcolm to be very careful. I've used the USPS to get into buildings myself. I can be a parcel!""

Victory furrows his brow, "'Anomalous Object', huh?" He says to the guard as he passes, "Which package are we talking about?"

"Huh?" Gabrielle's response to Abby is as if she's not listening. She seems a little spaced out as she tries to make heads or tails out of all the commotion in the building. "Alright, where are we heading?"

"What kind of anomaly?" inquires Malcolm. He half-turns, looking back toward the perimeter while trying to keep a wary eye on the mail room.

"Not sure. That's the problem. Nobody seems to have gotten any info before they cleared out." says Abigail. She strides down the hallway, approaching the Mail Room from an alternate entrance because.. you know, flanking positions just in case.

When she gets to the room, she peers inside to see if there's any weird EM readings to her senses. "You learn anything about it Grimm?" she asks before suggesting to Chen. "Anything you can sense about other shapeshifters? Some sort of decoder ring or secret handshake for the club?" Yeah, she's using jokes to break tension.

In the mail room, twin flashing warning lights are swirling. They are mounted atop the scanner that sits above a conveyor belt where packages are scanned as they are brought into the building.

Victory moves further into the mail room, and takes a look at the scanner to see what was sensed inside the package.

Chen shakes her head. "Sorry. No." she says. Then growls, "I've never been on this side before. I begin to sympathise with the people who have to stop shifters like me. Evacuate the room and fill it with sleep gas maybe?"

The trooper calls ahead to Malcolm. "Some kind of technological device. No biological or explosives detected, but it's got advanced electronics."

Malcolm stands guard between the scanner and the perimeter. Just in case.

Grimm follows quickly behind Abigail, shaking her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary that I can make out so far. I'm still checking to see if there's anything else going on in the building that seems...odd. Just in case this is a diversion. But there's so many people..."

"Grimm, can you make a localized shield type thing?" (Read: Barrier!) "...to seal in the device in case it has some explosive function?" She says this as she moves into the room and studies the item.

Chen says, "I can do that if you like. Enclose the package."

Victory furrows his brow, "Looks like a puzzle cube. I forget what brand they were called. The colors-on-each-side kind of thing. But there appears to be electronics inside it. Seems like the calling card of a guy named Kubik, if I remember right."

Victory says, "I think he's with Next Gen? At least last I heard?"

"I could," Grimm murmurs in response to Abigail. She jerks a thumb towards Chen. "But I think she really wants to jump on the grenade."

Torus enters from Alien District.

Chen growls loud and angrily when Victory mentions Kubik. "If I even catch him I'll tear his throat out."

"Whoa now. Thanks for that info Vic." remarks Abigail. "And Chen, thanks for the offer, but I'd rather not use your -body- as a shield." She smirks and gestures to Grimm, "Do it. No sense in having more people up close and personal with the device. Vic.. any idea what the device is going to do then since you seem to be on top of the source material?" She's trying to decide -who- should get sealed in with the device.

"... Advanced electronics?"

Malcolm looks back toward Victory and the scanner. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Malcolm starts walking over toward the scanner and conveyor.

"Let me take a look at the device. See if I can figure out what we're dealing with here. In the meantime, maybe we can put up a force shield to maintain a safe perimeter around it and me?"

Victory chuckles. "Umm...no. I have no idea personally. But it doesn't look like there are explosives? So...that's a plus?"

Grimm nods at Abigail's orders. "Dark bubble coming right up," she responds. She watches at Malcolm heads towards the device. "So...you want me to trap you in with the device?" she asks, trying to hide the note of worry in her voice. "You'd...better get your metal covering in place."

Chen morphs back to Chen form, "Colonel, if Malcolm is going to be inside let me help shield him. I can't be hurt. Not permanently."

Victory says, "Looks like the package was addressed to Spirit. If this Kubik guy did his homework, maybe it attacks energy in some way? Traps it?"

"It's got a battery, but the amount of power in it isn't enough to be dangerous. Unles it siphons energy the way I do." offers Abigail. She eyes Chen.. and then nods, "Do it." she adds. "Forge, extra armor incoming." she adds before looking to Victory. "Only one -real- way to find out." and then she nods to Grimm. She understands the concern in the other woman's voice, but... she's not planning on sacrificing anyone. It's just that someone needs to investigate, right?

Chen moves over to Malcolm. "Probably a good idea to explain what I'm intending to do before I do it. This is something Paragon and I worked on when her evil nemisis was around. I'm going to flow over you like a very flexible enveloping coat and use my toughness to take the brunt of anything that wants to get at you. Are you going to be okay with that?"

Malcolm nods at Grimm and Abigail and Chen, letting out a little sigh. The tall man flexes his fingers, clenching his hands into fists for a moment as liquid metal starts to seep from his pores. By the time Chen arrives or Grimm erects her dark wall, Malcolm is subsumed by the shape of Forge.

Forge lightly claps Victory on the shoulder and offers a little smile. There's a thumbs up as a follow up and Forge replies to Chen, "Yeah, I know. I saw you two do it a couple of times now. Plus you did it to the flying van when we were taking on that Wraith."

"Good job, Victory. You mind taking the perimeter, make sure nothing's using this as a diversion? Surviving this kind of stuff is more Chen and my wheelhouse, y'know?"

The Torus is running late, very late. Something it has not done in hundreds of years.

It teleports to StarGuard Gamma Base. While it is capable of worry, it is not. This is more like an odd feeling of duty mixed with a calling to be present. Worry is for those nested comfortably within their timelines- but for The Torus, failure likely means things go unchanged and nothing more.

What The Torus did not realize was that his appointment is to meet with a number of technically gifted individuals about how The Torus systems work.

That turned awkward quite quickly once staff got a 'working sample' which was scanned and rescanned- but only registered as a metallicic dust of unknown (unEarthly) composition. More details would violate his own mandate not to directly advance the technology of his ancestors. So the Destruem Dust was really just that- unconstituted and unpopulated by the atomic sized machine colonies that allowed the matter to be programmable.

The Sphere of Torus floats there idly while the scientists try to maejk heads or tails of the data.

That's about when the base went into alert.

"This one apologizes, but I believe I might be better equipped to assist with whatever has caused this alert. Can you please direct me to the location this alert indicates?" The Torus asks to the man in the lab coat nearest him.

Victory nods. "No problem." He steps back out of the mail room to keep an eye on the perimeter. Just in case.

The technicians directs Torus to the mail room. "Guardian's down there; link up with her and find out what to do."

Grimm trusts Malcolm is extra tough as is, but she can't help but worry just a little at the very least. She holds her hands down at her hips, palms forward as her fingers flex, dark energy coalescing and weaving between her digits as she starts to channel energy to prepare a dark wall of shadow to protect the facility. She holds off until everyone's ready.

Not aware that Torus is in the building, Abigail.. aka Guardian just nods. Once the extra armor is in place, she gestures. "Okay. Go check it out." And as soon as they approach, she'll start a gesture to Grimm.... that is, if Torus doesn't interrupt and prevent all of this.

Chen flows over Forge and toughens herself. Forming a face on her outer surface she gives Grimm a reassuring smile, "I'll keep Forge safe. You have my word." she says.

Without another word- the Torus disappears in a bright blue flash of light.

It appears in the Mail Room next. But has reshaped itself en route.

It arrives at the doorway, shaped as a common Robot Helper Unit, commonly seen around the base. Though of course, it is solid black and its only details are actually created in bas-relief.

"The Torus is reporting to provide assistance- if necessary. Please advise." The Droid/Torus says simply as it watches on.

It notes the people in the room.

Grimm grins slightly as Chen reassures her. "Okay, I trust you. Just don't get too fresh with my...uhhh...super...visor," she starts off with a teasing joke, but then segways from saying the word 'boyfriend', blushing a little. Once everyone's in range of the cube, she lifts her hands and curls her fingers closed. A dark circle forms around Forge/Chenarmor, and the box. Walls creep up from the circle and meet at an apex, creating a protective, semi-transparent dark bubble.

Forge flexes a little bit as Chen flows over his biometallic form. He makes a sound that may be best described as a puzzled sort of huh before shrugging as Chen hardens into proper armored plating. The metal man advances upon the package, producing a couple of tools from somewhere under both layers of living armor as he starts to investigate Kubik's package.

Inside the bubble, one the conveyer belt beneath the scanner is an express delivery box addressed to 'Commander, Starguard Gamma'. Through the scanner, it's possible to see that there's only one thing inside the box -- the puzzle cube.

Chen extends a tentacle and grabs hold of something solid and bolted down.

When Torus shows up and inquires, Abigail just nods. "Well, we've got someone in there investigating an anomalous device that was found. Good call on the perimeter!" she calls out to Forge as she sends instructions for troopers to be on extra alert about the base, "But.. think you could grab a look see and learn anything about the device yourself?" she asks Torus.

Forge falls largely silent as he examines the device through the scanner. He extrudes a metal cable through a joint in his Chenarmor, cautiously twisting the packaging on the conveyor about to get a better angle on something on the monitor. Withdrawing his cable almost as quickly as it appeared, Forge makes a few curious sounds.

<< It's probably not dangerous, >> comments Forge on the local comms, << The system isn't detecting anything explosive and it doesn't have nearly enough juice to be a threat. I can't tell exactly what it's intended function is through the packaging around it or the scanner system, but I can tell how you activate its preprogrammed function. We'd just need to pull it out and solve the puzzle. >>

Chen speaks, "I've seen one of these twice before. One just produced a hologram. The other opened a gate and let a New Generation strike force into an FBI building to kidnap Miles Fuchs."

"Gut feeling? I'd say this is probably some kind of hologram projector," offers Malcolm, "But I can't say for certain without, y'know. Manipulating the device."

Victory waits...only kind of patiently...out by the perimeter. He paces back and forth.

The Torus/Droid nods to Abigail.

"Confirmed." He says, as he vanishes, and appears on the inside of Grimm's protective field- this time shaped as a sphere the size of a golfball.

The golfball/Torus drops down to the level of the cube and begins its inspection. First it checks for EM radiation being emitted from the device, followed by an indepth review of the device to find out likely uses for it.

The Torus hopes it isn't a complex Trojan Horse, but it steels itself just in case.

Grimm keeps catching herself holding her breath as she waits. The waiting is the worst part.

The Torus' analysis provides much the same information Malcolm has already announced as he's worked his way through his own analysis.

But The Torus has more tricks up his sleeve than a magician. So via his subspace connection to his 28th Century database, he runs a search for the object in question.

A few dozen centuries of historical records are a lot go through, so it begins its tedious journey without further word.

Simulataneously, The Torus begins running a simulation in hopes of finding the solution to the 'puzzle-box'.

Though it does not seem particualrly dangerous, the unknown nature of the device raises the flag for The Torus' own Danger Awareness Logic. This subroutine provides a secondary approach to solving the puzzle, but unfortunately StarGuard personnel would probably not appreciate the device being teleported away and solved off-world before being returned for examination after The Torus is certain it poses no danger to Earth, or StarGuard personnel.

The Torus strikes that from its agenda and continues searching its database for clues.

"Agent Gibbs- This One notes that you analysis is line with my own findings. I am searching through my own databases to see if any device such as this has been encountered in this Unit's travels." The Torus reports.

Chen chuckles, "If it needs to be solved I hope someone can do it. The only time I tried the cube ended up with more sides than it started with."

Having two different sources say roughly the same thing, Abigail nods. "Okay then. If it's safe then... why don't we see if we can access the information inside without doing it their way?" She shrugs, "There could be all sorts of things triggered by -solving- this puzzle, and I'd prefer we access the information in a method that whomever delivered this did -not- want us to use."

"It's almost like I'm only masquerading as a fisticuffs specializing grease jockey," suggests Forge to Torus. He grins playfully somewhere under the Chenarmor and his own Colossus' Flesh. Forge folds his arms across his chest, waiting for further instructions.

"That's going to be difficult. Might be more under Torus' wheelhouse than mine at that point."

"My own analysis concurs with Agent Gibbs. I suggest we take this device completely off-world to open." The Torus says before quietly adding, "I have intimate knowledge of such. I find I am doing far less monitoring than I used to. It is... vexing." The tone The Torus uses is quite human. Probably pretty unnerving for anyone close enough to hear it, or with hearing sensitive enough.

It adds for all, "Or perhaps solving the device within an open-wormhole. One on this side of the aperature, and the device being held through it. If we do not like what we find- we close the apperature."

The Torus continues its solving simulation trying to calculate a likely course to solve the puzzle.

The Torus makes a friendly chime as the solution to the puzzle is found.

"All- The One has found the solution to the cube." The Torus announces shortly after the chime.

"After running a multitude of simuilations, I have sorted through approximately 26 different permutations and am 98.73465498% sure that I have arrived at the correct solution." It adds, as the golfball sized sphere, grows large enough to engulf the cube.

Then corners sprout out of the sphere and edges rise shortly thereafter.

The Torus has taken the shape of the device.

"Please advise next steps. This one is prepared to solve the puzzle." It says finally.

"Right. Are you able to access any data stored within, without following the steps the creator of the puzzle -wanted- us to follow? Rule number one, when you think the bad guys gave you a puzzle to solve... don't solve it, or it could cause all manner of unintended consequences." suggests Abigail.

"Lieu, we'd probably only get one or two chance to go that route," calls Forge. He looks over at the Torus wrapped around the box wrapping up the puzzle. Looking back toward the perimeter, Forge clears his throat and rolls his Chenarmored shoulders. "We'd need to crack the encryption on the thing and not trip any safeties on the device. It's probably easier to take it to a secured, isolated environment and just solve the thing than to try safecracking it here."

"Agreed." The Torus says simply. "Please indicate requested location- this one will then open a gateway to said location."

The Cube/Torus says as it drifts nearer to the device.

Rolling her eyes, Abby just shakes her head, "Fine. Do whatever you all want. I am trying to approach this from a strategic viewpoint. Go ahead and solve the thing. Someplace secure? Do we have any vaults or isolation labs?"

Looking at her tablet, Abigail says, "Cell one four seven is in an isolated area, without any prisoners in adjoining cells. Though.. I think you'll likely need to go there the old fashioned way. As I understand it, energy fields and dampeners make teleporting into or out of those cells a very.. unlikely proposition."

"Well we can either solve it and find out what's up or we can try to back door this and risk frying everything and not knowing what's going on, Lieutenant Colonel Hearns," replies Forge. He folds his arms (and Chen's?) over his chest as he watches the Torus bobbing closer and closer to the box.

"Confirmed." The Torus says simply. "Does this device require specialized transport? Or is it safe for this One to carry to Cell 1-4-7?"

Within the isolation of a Questionate detention cell, Torus is able to solve the cube. Once the faces align, it activates. It projects a hologram, some kind of code number: 'IMO9075552898'

Chen mutters, "Jerk!"

Nodding, Abigail shrugs, "Well... I didn't expect anything dramatic. But I wanted to be prepared for it." She looks to the others and asks, "Does that mean anything to anyone? Eye Em Oh 9075552898?"

Victory raises a brow, "It's not coordinates. Maybe a registration number for a ship?"

As she speaks, Abigail hears her own voice and inclines her head. She pulls the tablet up and starts searching through the ship database by registration numbers. "I think you are correct Vic." she remarks as she inputs the details to search for the result.

Chen says, "If that's it. The entire message or whatever. He could have sent it by email like a normal person. Kukik is a jerk."

Forge shrugs a little bit at the hologram and the questions it raises. He patpats Chen with one hand, expression blank as he considers the alphanumerics floating in the air in the cell.

"Why would he want to tell us the number of a cargo ship?" asks Abigail. "I guess we have no choice but to jump through this hoop too." And she projects the holo-display to show: Agnes James. Docked in CB, due to ship out in 2 days.

The Torus remains silent as the others figure things out. Being blind, it only took note of the alphanumeric string after Guardian read it aloud.

Victory rubs his chin and smiles. "I suppose we won't know until we get there to check. But if he's working for Next Gen, I find it a little weird that he'd make contact with SGG. It doesn't make a ton of sense. There must be a reason that SGG is being brought into it. Perhaps there are 'illegal aliens', so to speak, on that ship?"

Victory says, "Next Gen isn't like ACE. They're not all about human superiority in that sense. But they'd have a vested interest in protecting the planet, I'd think."