Log:Princesses' Guard Revived, Scene 7

Princesses' Guard Revived 2014/04/02 	 Ghost Scrapper Titan Rift

7

Workout Room, Steel's Gym
One end of the workout room is set out like an executive briefing room, with comfortable chairs, soft carpeting underfoot, and floating platforms beside each chair for notes, laptops, coffee cups, and plates of snacks. A raised podium in front of the chairs has two chairs set in the center of it. At the side of this area are tables supporting a number of coffee urns, china teapots, bottled beverages, cups and glasses. Stacks of plates and napkins are placed next to a varied help-your-self buffet from the Embassy kitchens.

At the other end of the workout room is a windowless three story building with a single normal sized door at ground level offering access to it. Around the base of the building is a six foot wide moat filled with murky water. The surface of the water is being constantly disturbed by vee shaped ripples suggestive of something moving beneath the surface. The moat lacks a bridge to the door.

Princesses' Guard Try-Out
Scrapper strides into the gym, dressed in jeans and a tanktop instead of traditional workout gear. She glances at the clock when she arrives, verifying she is a bit early.

Ghost is already there, finishing the workout room simulation and chatting to two fae from the embassy kitchen who are laying out the buffet.

Ghost says, "Hi, Jo. Grab a drink, something from the buffet and take a chair. Good to see you here."

Titan walks in shortly thereafter, dressed in his neo-Greek outfit that's somewhat akin to a costume. His hair has grown out considerably in the last year, now falling to about his shoulders.

Scrapper waves and goes to grab a drink

Ghost smiles and goes over to Johnathan. "I'm so glad you could make it." She lifts on tip-toes and lifts her lips. "There's a long line outside, I hope?"

Titan smiles and gives Ghost a quick kiss, "Not as of yet. Perhaps my suggestion of opening things up more won't really bear fruit."

Scrapper taps her wristband when she doesn't get a response. "Does this thing work any more?" she asks no one in particular. Without waiting for a reply, she turns to Titan. "By the way," she says with a smile, "I heard a rumor I need your approval to stay with the new team. Baseball bats may be required."

Ghost checks the time and frowns. "It was a good idea, Johnathan. Maybe they're all waiting to come tomorrow?" She grins as she turns to Scrapper. "I had the mage at the Embassy change the communicators, Scrapper. The new ones are independant of the ones that we handed out before."

Titan shrugs and smiles. "Sure, my approval is necessary. But it's not really hard to earn, either."

Scrapper smirks, "I haven't already earned it? Pity."

Titan chuckles. "I already know what you can do. That's not an issue. I guess I just need to know if you can follow Ghost's lead."

Ghost looks at the time again. "No point in letting the buffet go to waste. Tuck in everyone. I also had a bottle of wine for after the try out. We might as well open it and just chat."

Scrapper pffts, "A leader who can't follow makes for a poor leader. She and I discussed this yesterday. I'm versatile. ... occasionally even flexible when inspired ... and I'd hold off on the wine. We may get a late arrival."

Scrapper doesn't hold off on grabbing a plate, however.

"I'd *suggest* holding off on the wine," she ammends, in honor of her new status.

Titan is basically immune to the impairing effects of alcohol, at least in normal volume. He pours himself a glass and then grabs some food. As he's finishing up, he says to Scrapper, "I'm glad to hear it. I don't really want a repeat of what happened last go-round. Theoretically, we're all older and wiser."

Ghost keeps silent for the moment, wanting to give Scrapper and Titan a chance to talk before she asks Scrapper a couple of questions.

Scrapper smiles, "In theory, it works that way."

Titan nods. "So...last I knew, you had a different vision of what the team was meant to do. How do you feel about that now?"

Scrapper says, "I still think there is some confusion between what the fae nobility expects of the team and what Princess Stephanie expects. Jillian has assured me that she can keep the nobility mission covered - using people more suited to the job - to free us up for missions."

Titan nods. "Fair enough." He looks to Ghost, "She gets my vote, at least."

Scrapper says, "And I didn't even have to use a baseball bat." It is uncertain if she is disappointed. Glancing at the door, she adds, "I'm guessing the newness has worn off for working with the fae."

Titan shrugs and smiles. "We can still spar, if you want." He finishes up his food and sips his wine.

Ghost nods. "I doubt Harlequin will have any objection. Provisionally, welcome back to the Princesses Guard, Jo." She gestures to the wine bottle, "Since it's already open..? Jo, did you get my email regarding the engagement?"

Scrapper nods as she chews and swallows, then says, "I did. Is there any particular avenue you wanted me to follow up on?"

Ghost says, "Two actually, Jo. Duke Tuveril. I like him. I respect him. I can't believe he would be involved in any activity against the Princess or Duke Vantherion. And that makes me the last person to be checking up on him. But more than anything else, Palanir. I haven't been able to get even a sniff of him.And he's the one who scares me the most."

Titan just listens as he finishes up his glass of wine.

Scrapper says, "For Palanir, may I suggest a harpoon on hand (or something equally barbed and cumbersome) for when we next see him? The guy has an annoying habit of escaping when we do encounter him."

Titan nods. "And he definitely chooses to flee rather than fight to the end."

Ghost says, "That would get my vote, Jo." She sighs, "Johnathan, there's something I'd like to ask you to do. But I don't think you're going to like me asking. I have the traditionalists, both noble and commoners, under surveillance. I can't find any trace of Palanir. I don't have enough messengers to watch the unlucky suitors. Johnathan, it's possible that in their eyes you are one of the club. And they may reveal intent to you, maybe even try to recruit you into any scheme they have planned."

Titan nods. "So...you want me to just inform you if I hear anything along those lines?"

Scrapper says, "I'm thinking she's asking you to play the jilted lover."

Ghost nods. "Yes. I am. I'm sorry, Johnathn. But it's a role that only you can play. Make contact with them. See what you can find out." She gives Johanthan an apologetic look.

Titan nods. "It's alright. I understand. Though...I suspect they may not be as forthcoming as you think, due to my being human. But perhaps they'll open up because I'm underestimated. Hard to say for now."

Scrapper says, "As for tracking people down, the only people I know that are good at that - what we used to call 'hounds' where I came from - are those likely tracking *me* down, so I doubt they will be receptive to doing me any favors."

Ghost nods. "I'm hoping Harlequin can help with finding where Palanir is hiding. Unless Palanir has shielded himself magically. On to another point, Jo. Did you go take a look at the security arrangements I've made for the Princess?"

Ghost smiles as Rift enters. "Johnathan, Jo, this is Rift. One of the potential new teams members. Rift, meet Johnathan, also known as Titan, and Jo, usually known as Scrapper."

Ghost says, "And help yourself to the buffet, Rift."

Rift enters the workout room and dips her head. She is in her armored form and she reaches up and touches her helmet. The lower part retracts and leaves just the visor covering her upper face. "A pleasure to meet you." she says softly.

Titan waves and smiles, "Nice to meet you."

Rift smiles a little and then moves to the buffet and then looks back at the others and smiles, "So do you like being part of the Guard?" she asks softly.

Ghost looks to Johnathan, "You're probably the best person to answer that." she says.

Titan nods. "Yeah, I do. It's a nice change of pace from my normal day job, to be honest. Plus, it's nice to work in a group."

Rift nods and shakes her head a bit, "I have been solo, so not sure, though it can help to have people you are used to working with." she says softly.

Ghost says, "I've worked solo. I've worked as part of a team. Being part of a team is better. Much better if the other members of the team are your friends as well as fellow team members."

Titan smiles again, "That can sometimes create its own problems, like...well, family. But it's still good to have someone watching your back."

Rift nods, "So as part of a team I would mostly be the transportation." she chuckles and shakes her head a bit, "But yeah, friends and family can come in handy."

Ghost grins, "Johnathan here is strength and resilence. Harlequin, who isn't here, is magical support. Jo is major firepower. As is Anthony Quinn, who is a consultant rather than a full member. I'm scouting and tactics."

Ghost adds, "Sukeban. How did I forget her. She's major major firepower.

Rift nods her head a bit, "I don't do really much in the way of fighting, I have some tricks I have figured out, but mostly is moving around that gets me by." she says softly.

Titan nods. "I'm afraid I don't really know what you can do. Though Harlequin spoke highly of you."

Ghost says, "One thing we, I, do need to know is how capable, or not, of taking an attack you are. If we need to shield you, that's something we need to know before you are under threat. Not something we discover afterwards by counting the wounds you have."

Rift nods, "well we can definitely do something. A workout or audition of sorts.

Titan looks to Ghost, "Did you have a test in mind?"

Ghost says, "I did. The try out I put together. Although I think I'll have to tone it down a little."

Rift nods her head and looks a little curious, not that much of her face shows.

Ghost gets the remote unit for the workout room and creates a large vertical screen to display the try-out instructions on.

Each floor of the building is a single large chamber. In the ground floor chamber are six holographic opponents. These opponents have pistols that shoot an entangling bubble of fractal energy that generates an almost impervious interior surface. One of the opponents has a key in the hilt of its pistol that will unlock the door to the stairs leading up to the next level. This door is locked by a mechanical lock, an programmable electronic lock, and a riddle lock. Unlocking any of the locks opens the door.

On the second floor the entrance to the stairs leading up is blocked by a six foot thick block of concrete. Axe blades swinging down from mobile swivels on the ceiling of the chamber slash at random intervals into the chamber, making life difficult.

In the center of the third floor chamber is a cage made from a metal that has the distinctive bluish sheen of Questonite. A imprisoned fae maid is trapped inside. There are four large metal levers, one on each wall of the chamber. The levers are spaced no less than twenty feet away from each other. All the levers start in the up position. Two of the levers have a green glow around them. Two have a red glow around them. Moving any one lever up or down changes the up/down and color state of the other three levers. Your task is to free the prisoner. (hint: think outside the box)

Ghost asks, "Like to give it a try?"

Rift blinks a little and then nods, "Its worth a shot." Her helmet resumes its full sealed position.

Titan takes a look at the setup curiously. "Hmm."

Ghost smiles, "Okay, How do you want to tackle the first obstacle, the locked door? Can anyone pick a lock? How about being good with riddles? Obviously I set the riddle so I'm out of that. Or should we just blast our way through the holograms?"

Rift looks at them, "Oh, I am not doing it by myself?" she was expecting that.

Ghost chuckles, "You probably can't do it by yourself. The try out was designed primarily as a test of how possible members can work together as a team. If I have the design right, no one person can do it on their own."

Rift nods, "Oh." she says softly, and there is something about the way she says it that she was already trying to think of ways to get by it by herself. She nods her head, "Well I might be able to figure out a riddle, or the electronic lock, or I do have practice taking out small groups of normals."

Titan chuckles. "My method of dealing with locks usually means breaking them, I have to admit."

Ghost says, "Let's give Rift a chance to showcase her abilities. Can you teleport the three of us to the door and then try either the electronic lock or the riddle, Rift? The stairs themselves are safe zones, so after we pass the door we can stop and talk about the next floor."

Rift nods her head, "I can do that, everyone needs to be touching." she says softly.

Ghost smiles at Johnathan. "Not a problem." She says. And moves over to rest a hand on Rift and slip an arm around Johnathan's waist.

Titan nods and says to Rift. "Do I need to touch you directly? Or can we chain like this?"

Rift has no problem with the short distance across the room, and the three of them vanish in a flash of red light to appear in front of the door in another flash, "No that was fine, just a connection."

The riddle is inscribed on the surface of the door...

Riddle: A dying man calls his two sones to him. He tells them that his inheritance will go to the son who's favourite horse is last to cross the winning line of a race to the next village. The sons use every trick they can to stay behind each other. After the first day they have travelled barely a tenth of the distance. They stay at an Inn overnight. In the morning the innkeeper says the same two words to each of the sons. They then race as fast as they can to the village. What did the innkeeper say?

Rift eyes the riddle and then the electronic lock and seems to be considering. She looks at Titan for a moment, "Suggestions? Or should I try the electronic lock?"

Titan shrugs, "If you're good with electronics, I'd go for that one. I'm terrible with both, to be honest."

Scrapper stays back and silent as Rift goes through his test, but she eyes the outer wall of the third floor speculatively.

Before the holograms can raise their weapons, Rift skillfully opens the electronic lock of the door. The holograms vanish.

Ghost smiles, "Nicely done. Now the next level. A big thick wall of concrete. And axes swinging down from the ceiling. Suggestions?"

Rift thinks for a moment, "Well not sure, I could try to teleport us to the other side of the wall, I have done that sort of thing before, or depending on exactly how close those axes are to the wall, teleport us over there and let Titan take care of the wall."

Ghost waits to give Johnathan a chance to comment.

Titan nods. "Seems like both are reasonable ideas to me. If you had to pick, which would you go for?"

Rift nods, "My first thought would be to take us through the wall, but as we are working as a team, I think getting us to the wall and letting you get us through it."

Ghost grins. "The stairs are safe zones. The big thick wall of concrete is hardly much of a barrier to you, is it Johnathan? The only difficulty is not getting hit by the swinging axes. So if one of us has a ranged weapon or attack, why don't we stand in the doorway here where it's safe and shoot the axe swivels?"

Titan nods. "I suspect the axes aren't much of a concern for me, either. But you have a good point, Ghost."

Purple stuff, swirling with red and black, oozes out of Scrapper's hand to form a pole. "You could also just stick something, up above the axe blades for the handle to run into," she says.

Rift nods, "Well I can phase myself next to them and strike them, but doesn't have any blasters or anything."

Ghost glances at Scrapper, "That too. Good idea."

With a series of thuds the swinging axes slam handles into Scrapper's pole and grind to a halt.

Ghost says, "Onwards..."

Scrapper leaves her pole stuck in the axe handles in case the machanism gets the idea to start again. From the pole, little tendrils like vines extend to wrap around the hafts creating an extra layer of security.

Titan walks up to the concrete wall, and starts hammering away at it. It doesn't take him long to create a person-sized hole in it.

The way is clear to the third and final floor of the building.

In the center of the third floor chamber is a cage made from a metal that has the distinctive bluish sheen of Questonite. A imprisoned fae maid is trapped inside. There are four large metal levers, one on each wall of the chamber. The levers are spaced no less than twenty feet away from each other. All the levers start in the up position. Two of the levers have a green glow around them. Two have a red glow around them. Moving any one lever up or down changes the state of the other three levers. Your task is to free the prisoner.

Ghost chuckles, "I really should have used a simulation of the Princess. But I couldn't bring myself to do it."

Scrapper steps through the hole that Titan has pounded in the concrete last after the others have walked through. Somewhere in the tunnel her 'pole' transforms into a purple pickaxe which she carelessly carries on her shoulder. As she approaches Titan, she says to the rubble covered man with a smirk, "Did that feel good?

Titan shrugs and smiles slightly, "Enh." He brushes himself off slowly while considering the next room.

Rift hmms, "So tell me about the metal? Anything I should know about it?"

Scrapper says, "Rift, how durable are you?"

Ghost says, "The cage is constructed of a material called by Earth people Questonite. It cannot be broken or bent and blocks teleportation."

Rift shrugs, "I can take a beating, probably not much by Titan, but usually enough to keep myself going and get away." she frowns a little, "All forms of teleportation, or just resistant to teleportation."

Scrapper says, obviously think out loud more than anything else, "Two scenerios come to mind. First, lady and the tiger. Second, random lever pulling could hurt the prisoner."

Ghost smiles, "For the purpose of this test assume all forms of teleportation. Obviously it's not really Questonite. It's a simulation. But assume that it is while in the test.

Rift cocks her head to the side, "moving levers changes just the others, not the one that is moved?"

Ghost says, "As you have come up with a thought that I overlooked, I'll tell you nothing you do short of actually attacking the fae maid will harm her. I would have made that clear if I'd have thought of the possibility."

Scrapper flies up to the cage and sticks her pickaxe between the bars just to make sure nothing surprising happens to it. "Which is not to say the cage won't harm us," she says, again thinking out loud.

The point of the pickaxe passes through the bars, grinding to a halt when the thickness of the pickaxe reaches the spacing of the bars. Nothing untoward happens.

Titan smiles. "I'm pretty sure I know what I'd do, presented with the situation on my own. But I'm curious to see what Rift does."

Ghost answers Rift, "Moving a lever from up to down, or from down to up, will change the up/down state of the other three levers. The lever you moved will stay in the state you put it.

Titan says, "Wait...does it change the color or the position of the other levers?"

Rift nods, "I would say that the goal is to get all of them green, yes? So you move to one of the red levers, that will turn the two green to red and the other red to green, and leaving the one you moved red, then you move over to the only green one at that point which was originally the other red one and flip it. It will stay green, and the other three which are red will turn green, making all four green. Right?" she looks at Titan, "Or is it position and not color?"

Ghost says, "You won't find that out, Johnathan, until you change a lever."

Titan shrugs, "I'd have been inclined to go with color."

Scrapper inspects the cage and a small smile spreads across her face. Looking to Ghost, she asks, "So have I thought of something else that you haven't considered or are we encouraged to bypass obstacles yet?"

Ghost says, "I don't know if you're out-thought me, Jo. What's your idea?"

Scrapper says, "Forget about levers and take the whole cage"

Ghost says, "Er... Jo. Doesn't that leave the poor fae maid still stuck in the cage?"

Rift nods, "Should we try the levers?" she looks to the others.

Scrapper shrugs. "Until the cage is somewhere where she can world-walk. World-walking isn't teleporting ... exactly"

Titan nods. "That's what I would do. Try the levers...trying to make them all green."

Ghost laughs, "Well done, Jo. You found a solution I hadn't considered. Ten points to Griffidor, and let's see if between you, you can find the solution I expected."

(editor's note: The above wouldn't work as the cage would shift worlds with the fae maid. But Ghost, not being a world-walker herself, is unaware of that and still believes Scrapper has come up with a brilliant alternative solution.)

Rift nods her head, "Someone else want to move to the other red one?" she asks as she moves to one of the two red ones. "Don't flip it yet."

Ghost moves to stand beside one of the up/green levers but doesn't touch it.

Scrapper says, "The first question that comes to my mind - after 'are the levers booby-trapped' of course - is whether flipping a lever twice will reset it to start."

On trying the levers, it turns out the color changes with the position. And there seems no way to get away from the two red and two green configuration. Until it's discovered that it's easy to physically hold a lever in place when another is moved. After that getting all the levers to green is a trival task, and the cage vanishes freeing the fae maid.

Ghost goes over to Rift, "Welcome to the Princess Guard team." she says. "Jo, there's going to be a team meal in the Embassy on Thursday at 2pm EST. I hope you can make it.