Space Camp Session 4

Princess Guard - The New Era 2017/11/18 	 Titan Wolf Lien Tali Unix Artemis Nohrbor 48

Into the Tank
After the zero-G flights the Space Camp adventurers are free to explore the public areas of the NASA establishment. Followed by dinner, with several astronauts in attendance.

Commander Iverson repeats his suggestion that people get an early night, as tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

Tali does as suggested. Well, sort of. In practice she's a bit too excited to get to sleep well, so she goes about the place sketching people and places till she's tired enough to get to sleep, several seconds later by everyone else's time.

Titan sleeps only for a couple of hours each night. He spends the rest of the time reading.

The next morning, bright and early, you're escorted to the spacesuit fitting and testing area. Where, for all who were measured, new gleaming spacesuits await. The technicians there explain that two at a time, you'll be taught how to get into the suits and seal them, and then you'll spend time in the tank, a huge pool of water that simulates a zero-G mobility environment. "Who's first?" the senior tech asks.

Every kid's hand shoots up.

Unix would watch and observe, in case she needed to seal or help someone with their suit later. Could also assist under water if they wanted looking for leaks.

Tali holds up her hand to volunteer too!

Titan chuckles. He's happy enough to let others go first.

The techs have been in this situation before. They have a number of straws, two cut shorter than the rest. Each eager hopeful gets to draw a straw and the two short straws go first. In this case it's Tali and Jackson. They are the first to find out first hand what the hygiene plumbing in the suits involves.

Artemis smiles and stands akimbo as she watches the little wards raising their hands. She doesn't expect this training is for the heroes. Certainly not a denizen of the stars. "I imagine this will also test if your suits seal correctly." She is uncertain of unreliable human technology. She looks over to Titan and flashes a smile. "Care to wager on which wards will be successful in their training?" she asks jovially. Why not make a game of it while they wait?

Titan smiles, "If you like. But...I suspect they'll all be successful."

The Stranger arrives as Stanton Freidman, smiling happily. He made the rounds during the dinner and returned to the dormatories to 'turn in early'. From there he assumed the form of a hawk and flew around the NASA campus, watching, observing and learning more about his adopted homeworld.

During spacesuit fitting and testing he takes a stance like Titan's, happy to let the others go first.

Tali is not so keen on the plumbing aspect of things. This suit is a lot more involved than SCUBA gear!

Wolf guards the kids until they all decide it's time for sleep, keeping a watchful eye out and two watchful ears on until they have explored the gamut of non-sleeping and non-dinner activities and are all ready to turn in for the night. Once they are, so is he! Wolf turns about in a small circle three times and settles in with his shaggy head atop his forepaws, snoozing until morning. . . Bright and early, Wolf is up, ready and waiting to escort folks to the suit fittings. Once there, he takes a seat near the back of the line, perfectly content to watch and wait as the kids suit up. While waiting, he and Peter practice Zero-G maneuvers in their "daydreams". . . where before Wolf was concentrating on "absorbing" some of the nausea Peter had been feeling, now he adds extra wrinkles to the daydream. Soon, he hopes, if they keep working at it, Peter will go from one of the weakest ZeroG "swimmers" to one of the strongest! The suits are tested for integrity and air-tightness. Then it's into the tank. The buoyancy of the suits provides a simulated zero-G mobility. And Tali and Jackson are given various manipulative tasks to perform. In the tank with them are two NASA scuba divers as the safety team.

Jackson has difficulty in the tasks. Not unexpected when hands are enclosed in rather clumsy gauntlets.

Tali knows how to dive, so in some ways it's familiar, and in some ways very different with the bulky suit!

Jackson's face cnnot be seen through the reflective surface of the suit visor, but when Tali easily completes the task he failed he gives her a thumbs-up signal.

"So then your wager is one hundred percent success rate? Very well. I'll wager at least one will have issues with their training. I would say the odds are in my favor, friend."

Artemis just wants to make things interesting for the waiting heroes, although betting on children failing doesn't even occur to her to be in bad taste. She's really rooting for them to succeed, and for others to contradict her wager by showing their support and betting on the kids.

Titan chuckles. "It may take them a few tries, but by the end of the day, I'm sure they'll have passed."

Tali wonders how much this is like the real thing, what with water being dense and space notably not so....

Tali returns the thumbs-up as Jackson completes the task.

Jackson's second try just manages to complete the task. And after a few more similar tasks it's time for the next pair.

Tali gets out of the pool - not so easy after the support of the water!

When Stanton's time comes he fumbles the first time, the second and third. But succeeds on the fourth attempt. Despite his multiple failures, he emerges from the tank looking quite proud of himself. His hoo-man cover is intact.

Wolf waits his turn patiently, sitting on his haunches and practicing with Peter. There's no gravity in the Spirit World, so that part is almost second nature to him. Of course "distance" in the Spirit World is purely conceptual, and "movement" happens via the power of the mind. . . so after he's suited up he spends all of his time practicing with the simulated thrusters. When it comes time to do the tasks, he concentrates on playing the "fetch" roll for his human partner, letting their superior manual dexterity shine while he does the boring, carry stuff-from-here-to-there bits.

Titan may be incredibly tough, but his agility isn't really superhuman. Despite that, he does reasonably well, only taking a couple of tries to get it down.

Tali pratices walking round in the suit in the dry while the others take turns in the pool, as much to pass the time as anything.

It seems that Artemis is going to lose her bet. By the time their sessions are complete all the kids have successfully managed to (a) learn to get into their suit unaided, (b) complete the manipulation tasks, and (c) clamored for more time in the tank. Those adults/heroes who wish to get a turn. And then, as there is extra time booked and the basics were completed in a speedy fashion the kids get a chance for a second session.

Titan smiles, and says to Artemis, "I guess we should have decided on a wager. Too late, I suppose."

Patrica and Mark are in the tank for their second session. The senior tech calls out one of the other techs for using a cellphone. The rebuked tech appologises and puts the cellphone away and returns his attention to the life sign monitors.

Titan is apparently paying too much attention to Artemis to notice much else. Typical.

Artemis snaps her fingers at losing the wager, but she's not at all unhappy about the outcome. The children succeeded, and that's a good thing. "Tis a shame, truly. I would've wagered a meal, perhaps. Or drink."

Tali is paying to much attention to Jackson to notice anything else, it seems!

Wolf watches the kids on their second round, keeping a practiced eyes on their movements as they learn and explore. It's like watching elk, one supposes, with an entirely different end-goal. Wolf observes the entire "herd" of kids, learning everyone's strengths over time, and also memorizing who might have difficulty reacting quickly and adroitly to which sort of circumstances. The more he learns of such things now, the less uncertainty in times of actual danger.

Unix, Lien, Wolf, and The Starnger notice Mark, who is in the tank with Patrica, drop a tool into the bottom of the tank. And neither of the kids makes any effort to go after it. In fact they don't seem to be moving. They are just hovering submerged in the tank unmoving.

Titan smiles and says to Artemis, "Well, that wouldn't keep us from getting a drink later anyway."

Wolf dives in and starts swimming to Mark and Patrica, reaching out and his mind to theirs along the way, to see what the problem is? *ploosh* *swim swim swim* (doggy-paddle)

Deciding that wards of his sister ought to behave better, The stranger reaches out with his mind to Mark's - his goal is to use telepathy to remind him how to behave in the presence of and under the watchful eye of GodFlora.

Tali turns to look as Wolf splahses into the pool - having fun or is there something more to it?

The bottom of the tank turns a glowing green color. And the water in the tank drains down 'through' the bottom, taking Patrica, Mark, and the two Scuba divers with it.

Sasha blinks as Wolf jumps into the tank then moves over towards the life sign monitors with a faint frown on his face behind the facelate of his suit.

Tali tries to dive into the pool after the others - if there's any water left to dive into!

The Stranger makes contact with Mark's mind. It's one weird experience. It seems as if there's two sources to the single mind. And both sources are unconscious.

Lien notices the tool drop, but initially considers it simple childishness. By the time lack of movement cues her into a more serious issue, the green glow has appeared and water is draining away. Well, $#@!.

Aleksandr hesitates then glows a silvery-blue that fades after a moment. In his place stands Harlequin who shouts, "It's a Gate. We need to follow them. Tomas, Karla stay here!" And with that he seems to grow 'fuzzy' and walks through the side of the tank and lets himself fall into the glow.

Unix "Another gate..." She raises an eyebrow before entering the tank. "F**king magic..." she muttered going to join to slip through to the other side. Having no clue what would happen.

Wolf makes contact with Mark/Patrica's mind. The kids are unconscious. Then you pass through the bottom of the tank into a cavern dug out under it. Along with Patrica and Mark and the two NASA scuba divers there are five others. One is a werewolf with iron skin and fur. Another is a mage in a dark green robe. he has his hands lifted and a green beam from his hands is bathing the bottom of the tank. Another is a massively built male. And lastly a pair of identical twins in black leathers.'

Stanton Friedman steps towards the edge of the pol too. "The Child - Mark, his mind... was almost fragmented. There were two distinct sources... a very strange feeling indeed." He says to the remaining heroes. His eyes cut to Althea a moment before he steps over the edge and falls into the gate. Though his fall is more like a slow, controlled drift. The mysterious man shows no hesitation.

The Stranger finishes his thought, "And we should be careful- I fear both children are unconscious." He manages to get all that out before he too vanishes into the green glow.

Magic. Just what everyone expects to run into at NASA. Lien rolls her eyes before they dart to her hardcase "luggage", then the glowing pool, and back. Seems she'll figure it out on the way as she grabs up the case and heads for the pool.

Harlequin lands awkwardly on the glow, going down to his knees. He places one hand on the glow as he says, "Koschei's teeth! It blocks magic." The mage seems to snap back into focus, the fuzziness disappearing in an instant.

Titan raises a brow as he figures out there's a problem. "What's going on, exactly? Some kind of portal?"

"I suppose it wouldn't," Artemis flashes a smile at Titan. "But there's something special about free drinks," she says with a wink. She looks back in surprise as the tank drains. "Is this...part of the training?" She asks curiously. "Perhaps to simulate a hull breach?"

Titan says to Artemis, "I think...that's not part of the training."

The senior tech is shouting, "What the $*&@ is happening?"

Artemis hears the mention of a gate. "Oh. Right, then," she responds to Titan. She lifts off the ground and soars towards the gate as fast as she can. But her initial hesitence cost her time. The glow stops and she crashes right into the bottom of the pool with a terrific crack.

Titan can still see Harlequin at least. He says over their mental communation, << What's the situation? >>

Harlequin places his hand flat against the bottom of the pool. As he concentrates part of his mind on seeking out any mystic traces, the mage responds to Titan over the link <>

The Stranger's eyes begin to glow visibly as he tries to ge this bearings.

As soon as he lays eyes on his sister's wards his voice booms out - "Hark! Step back from the Younglings immediately and tell me if you're friend or foe. So speaks Nohr-- ah... that is- Stanton Friedman, Lead Quality Assurance Engineer!" He begins floating and he brings himself to the front of the party that made it through the gate.

Harlequin, on concentrating realises the magic was used to move the bottom of the tank out of phase with the material plane.

Unix raises an eyebrow, obviously he was about to give away something but stopped barely short. She WAS about to say something herself, but opts to look them over, taking a glance over the four to make sure they were okay, ready to pull off the suit helmets if they weren't breathing...

Tali says, "Ok. You'd better unkidnap us now. or else."

The mage clad in dark green robes mutters, "I need to be quicker. Hold these interfering goodbodies off for a few moments."

Artemis picks herself up from the pool bottom, fragments of the flooring sticking to her briefly before crumbling off. She dusts herself off nonchalantly after smashing full force into the ground. "Well, this planet is always full of surprises."

<> This goes out in a broad band to everyone in the link. Harlequin, in the meantime, gets to working on a very, very short range Gate.

Tali charges at the mage to deliver a punch!

Wolf was in the water the instant the tool fell. Spiraling down the drain, doggy-paddling against the current, he relaxes and allows his true nature to shine forth. ((Ookami)) As soon as he can see, he word back to Titan and Sasha, via the PG comm embedded in his ear:

A tunnel leads beneath the tank, unto a hidden lair. . . A mage, a werewolf, two in black: these foes await us there!

That's just what Lien could use right now: loud, obnoxious, conspicuous, and distracting. She hasn't yet taken the time to do a full analysis, but she seriously doubts that this just happens to be a strange accident involving NASA's pool-cleaning contractor Metal Monster Magic Cleaners...

She snaps open her hardcase to start pulling things out with one hand while unzipping her overalls with the other to change. If this is going to be a party, she'd hate to be underdressed for it.

Tali charges at the mage, and accelerates a column of air in front of her fist. With the kids at stake she's not being gentle, and is aiming to knock him back into the cavern wall.

The mage gives out aa pained 'oof' as he is hit and knocked back into the side of the cavern. But he's still conscious and alert.

Tali thinks. o O (Shick! But at least he'll be easier for the other to strife now!)

The guys in black leathers, a pair of middle aged identical twins, move to take up defensive guard positions either side of the mage, and hold ready.

Wolf braces himself and dives into the way of the first scary-looking wave of pain headed for anyone more vulnerable than himself. Most very especially if it's headed for one of the kids or one of the NASA workers (who may not have the DEF to survive such).

Wolf will be keeping an eye on the Werewolf, in particular, as a matter of professional courtesy, so to speak.

The iron skinned and furred werewolf, a semi human wolf biped, leaps at one of the scuba divers.

Wolf leaps to interpose himself and braces for impact from un chien rouille

The werewolf barrels into Wolf. Iron Loupe was intending to get a cover on the diver as a bargaining chip. So instead of claws he simply smacks into Wolf with strength.

Wolf tumbles over backwards at the impact, but quickyly rights himself, coming back up on all fours and regarding Le Iron Loupe perforce.

The Stranger is a skilled observer of men, and so far what he's seen tells him much. Namely, that these men are fools if they think they can stand before even a single GodFlora and secondly - that they want these Hoo-mans for something specific which leads him to think they do not want to harm his sister's wards or the NASA crewmen.

So he does what any sensible telekinetic would do. He reaches out with his mind and pulls the first of the children to a position behind him. He'll continue this course on each to put them behind the proverbial line drawn in the sand.

Mark's unconscious body begins to shift slgihtly as Nohrbor gets his mind on the suit enclosing him. Then suddenly Mark is hoisted a couple of inches off the ground and snatched away and gingerly set down behind him. Stanton Friedman's eyes remain aglow.

Titan paces back and forth, << Harlequin, any chance that instead of opening that gate, you just make your own? >>

<> comes over the link from the mage.

Artemis shrugs helplessly at Titan as she looks up at him from the pool bottom, to excuse away her crashing into it. But then she suddenly looks down at her feet and takes a knee, running her fingers over the cracks from her impact. She turns her head to point an ear towards the ground. "I think...I hear fighting down below."

Titan furrows his brow, "Right below you?"

Artemis nods at his question. "I think t'was just a temporary hole rather than a transdimensional gate."

A dot of silvery-blue light appears right above the floor of the pool then explodes ouit into a 2m diameter silvery-blue flaming circle. Through it and below one can see the fight. "Go on! I'll follow," says Harlequin as he kneels next to the edge of the hole in time and space. Admittely, only a hole one meter deep, but still.

Unix grabs the iron loupe who had just run into Wolf, and slams him into a nearby wall while retaining her grip on him. In that moment _some_ might consider that the most dangerous mofo in the room might be her...

Iron Loupe is seeing little birdies circling around his head after Unix slams him into the handy nearby wall.

Titan flies up and over into the tank and down through the hole in the bottom of it that Harlequin so kindly created.

Artemis drops down the gate created by Harlequin as her shield expands from her bracer. She lands lightly, eyes taking in the situation quickly. Standing sideways to the twins and the mage, she wraps her fingers around the hilt of her sword. With a blinding movement, she draws her sword, which stretches as it turns into segmented pieces connected by glowing energy. The sword whip attempts to wrap around one of the leather twins.

The twin faced off by Artemis lifts a hand to point a short crystal rod at her. A beam of kinetic force shoots out from it. However Artemis resists the kinetic pulse emitted.

Tali thinks, "What, no one took the opportunity while he was down?" She goes up to the mage, studying him carefully for where a hit would hurt the most, hits him as hard as she can there, and then moves back out of the range of those attempting to guard him, all in the blink of an eye.

One of the twins in black leathers manages to dive in front of Tali's strike. The twin jumping into the strike from Tali is clearly affected. But not enough to stun him.

Wolf decides to see if "le loup de fer" understands authentic canine communications as he re-positions himself to next guard -Patrica's- unconscious form. Adopting a high and forward-leaning stance with ears folded back and tail held aloft, he regards the opposing werewolf and explains that disputations should be settled between capable canine combatants without resorting to cowardly hostage-taking or otherwise endangering -toothless- human civilians. Of course, without all of the awkward abstractions of human language and word-y constructs to get in the way, it's a heck of a lot shorter to explain all of this in his native canine-speak: "Grr!" says Wolf,. . . taking advantage of the fact that Unix has helpfully gotten the Iron Werewolf's attention and additionally transformed him into a "captive audience" with no other plans for a while. . . albeit a slightly dizzy and perhaps disoriented audience, it must fairly be admitted. Hopefully Le Loupe's -ears- still work.

Tali thinks. o O (Must have stood still a millisecond too long aiming!)

Quiet snatches up her INCAWS even as her GRAVMAS completes its powerup and diagnostic cycle. There's an inflood of the others from above and things are getting a bit crowded from her point of view, so she darts to one side in attempt to clear her line of fire at ...looks like biker twin Beta. She draws up a quick bead as the bore of her INCAWS widens before launching a ball of wire mesh his way. A ball that unfurls in flight due to weighted ends and aerodynamics.

Titan recalls seeing Jenn and Jess using a truster rod for a while. It's a Wolfguard weapon. Another snippit of info is recalled. Wolfguard never act against Wolfguard. Which almost certainly means the twins don't know the true nature of Patrica and Mark.

The Beta twin deftly avoids the flying net.

Titan realizes something, and says to the two leather-clad twins, "You have no idea you're attacking other Wolfguard, do you?"

The mage doesn't bother to stand. He waves his hands in a circling motion sending out a wave of green magical force. As the green energy reaches the villains it outlines them in a green aura. Mark is out of sight behind The Stranger, but Patrica is also outlined. The villains and Patrica start to fade out of local existence. It's then the twins step away from the auras around them and strike at the mage with energy whips. Too late. The mage is already insubstantial. And a moment later, gone, along with the other villains and Patrica.

The twins looks at the Titan, "I took you at your word. But I'd like an explanation." one of them says.

Tali says, "Shick! The magician even *said* he was their escape plan! Why wasn't everyone piling on?"

Titan furrows his brow and says to the twin, "The kid that was taken...was Wolfguard. It's not my fault if you can't manage to identify your own people."

"I believe we were here to save the Youngl-- that is, the children." The Stranger says to Tali.

Tali says, "I'm going to see if they're anywhere nearby -"

Tali is gone.

Unix learned grabbing someone to throw takes time... and will plan accordingly better next time.

Quiet is slow to lower her weapon, even if it appears that most of the kidnappers have left. The two that remain keep her wary attention for now.

Wolf paws at Mark's suit, struggling to open the faceplate so that he can try to Heal Mark back to consciousness. He looks up to the nearby Unix for help? *whuff!*

Unix goes to wolf, had originally been thinking of removing the helmet before it went combat heavy... detatches or breaks it as appropriate...

One of the twins says, "There isn't a Wolfguard any more. Wolfguard is gone. I'm a freelancer now."

Tali appears again. "Something's weirds's going on at an old mall about a mile away!" she says breathlessly.

Titan shrugs, "I'm pretty sure your rules still apply, right? You don't attack each other?"

Twin-Alpha nods to Tali, "Yes. That's where Dark Source set up the base. His plan was to hold the two children in the vault of the bank in the Mall until Quinn and Doi paid ransoms."

Twin-Beta nods, "I didn't know she was one of us." They both shake heads in dismay, "I'm out. Do we fight or do I walk?"

Titan looks to the others, "I'm inclined to let them go. They confirmed where we're heading."

Unix says, "I have no objection to letting them go... Although i'd ask they don't go anywhere for, oh, half an hour to an hour... At least then they can't possibly interfere since I have little doubt we will go on a rescue mission."

Tali shrugs. "I guess that kind of makes sense. But yeah, no need to fight? More important junk to do."

The twins nods to Unix. "Acceptable. If you fail I'll try my best to free the girl myself. Good luck." says twin-alpha.

Stanton Friedman, Lead Quality Assurance Agent is much less boisterous with the other heroes present. In fact, he's silent. His eyes lost their glow when the mage and Patricia vanished. He rings his hands from the rear as he confirms there is still a way out of the cavern above. If there is- he will take flight to get to the mall and see if he might see what's happening in advance of the others who are still dilberating. If not, he'll wait silently.

Unix says, "So... where are we?"

Tali says, "Come on... I'll show you the way...."

Wolf decides to lean on Unix' Eidetic Memories to see if Unix can put the remaining pieces together and solve the mystery! -Is- there a hidden double-agent in the NASA training team?

Dear Unix: when you have the time for Memories to share. . . Please tell us who was last to touch the tanks that held Mark's air?

Their air was poisoned with a trace of dizzying faint fumes. . . So it seems prudent to find out -- before the Camp resumes!

Our Patrica was poisoned, too, or so it likely seems. I tried to Heal her with no luck! (Was stopped by her suit's seams.)