Log:Tarot, Scene 2

Tarot: Wheel of Fortune 2014/01/12 	 Gossamer Star Girl

2

Champions Mush - Sunday, January 12, 2014, 1:55 PM

Nicholston

''Nicholston is the historic name for this part of town, though most people would probably say "near the mall". There's a seaside town atmosphere here, especially in summer, though the traffic on Beach and Wharf Streets are a reminder that this is a full city. The tourist industry prevails, embodied in convenience stores, surf rental shops, souvenir stores and restaurants; and at Wharf and Beach is Boardwalk Mall, unquestionably the center for shopping in the city. The most affordable of the bayside housing is also to be found here. Remarkably, there's plenty of parking, which helps the trade of mall and beach alike. ''

Both Star Girl and Gossamer get the same PDA message at the same time. The message comprises an image of a Tarot card, the Hanging Man; a set of GPS co-ordinates, and a time annoted by a plus/minus 30 minutes suffix. Then on the last line; BOMB?

Gossamer quickly weaves a more practical set of clothes and a pair of wings and speeds to the location in question. She's not sure why she's being chosen for these messages, but the last one proved a genuine warning - and a bomb sounds dangerous!

Star Girl rushes to the scene, probably with the help of a Starguard flying van. On the way, she notifies the local authorities of the bomb threat, recommending that they try to evacuate the neighborhood.

The GPS co-ordinates are precise, and locating the point brings the heroes to a street where a worker is cutting free a jammed manhole cover with a thermic lance. There are portable barriers around the manhole cover to keep people away at a safe distance.

Gossamer, using her PDA as a guide, glides down by the worker. "Be careful - I've had warning of a bomb!"

The worker glances up, pushing his welding goggles up onto his forehead, "A bomb?" he asks worriedly. "Should I get out of here?"

Gossamer checks the time. "I don't know. I was told it was just here though - so maybe under the manhole. How's it jammed?"

Star Girl hops down from a Starguard vehicle hovering over the intersection. "Stop!" she shouts to the worker. She glances briefly to Gossamer as she hurries over the manhole cover. "There's been a bomb threat," she explains to the worker.

The worker looks down at the manhole cover, the edge of the cut fading from a red heat, "Just age and rust as far as I can tell. The phone company tried to access it last week, and put in a request to city hall engineering to have it fixed."

Gossamer says, "If the bombs down there I guess we need to get it open.... if that can be done safely..." She looks to Star Girl. "You got the warning too, then."

The worker turns the thermic lance off. "I was cutting this. If there's a bomb under it... Heck, I could have set it off."

Gossamer nods. "How else could we get down there?"

Star Girl nods to Gossamer. She looks down at the manhole cover, frowning as she contemplates. She admits, "I know about as much about bombs as that city worker..."

The police are on their way but don't have the same response time as heroes. They'll probably be another ten minutes or so before arriving. In the meantime traffic and pedestrians are moving by normally, although with looks towards the heroes.

Gossamer says, "I know something about explosives... But we'd better clear the area....."

A young boy of about eight shouts, "Super heroes!" and darts away from his mother across the street towards Gossamer and star Girl...

"Got it," Star Girl responds, before turning towards the voice of the boy. "Get back!" she shouts. She'll try to leap over and intercept the boy before he gets much closer.

Gossamer asks the worker, "Do you know how else to get access to below this manhole?"

The boy runs heedlessly into the street. A hydrogen tanker swerves violently to avoid the boy, slams into a delivery van, and starts to roll over... The rear crashes down on the portable barriers. And a jagged piece of the crushed barrier punches into the hydrogen tank.

Gossamer hurriedly tries to patch the tanker with her polymers!

A wooosh... of compressed hydrogen sweeps over the area where the heroes and workers are, quickly expanding into a rapidly rising gas cloud of inflammable vapor.

Star Girl tries to grab the boy at least, before leaping with him to a building top.

Gossamer soon has the leak blocked, and for good measure binds the plug to the tanker with a sort of giant bandage, to make sure it stays on. She then tries to fan the existing released gas with her wings to encourage it to disperse.

Star Girl lands on the rooftop with the boy, hugging him tightly. "Ok, sweetie," she says, "I need you to stay right here where it's safe, ok?" She sets the boy down his feet and waits for his response.

The worker is shaking, his face turned as white as a sheet. "If you hadn't come I would have.. would have been using the thermic lance. The gas would have ignited... It would have been like a giant bomb going off." he says in a shocked voice.

Gossamer nods. "Whoever's tipping us off seems to be able to see the future...."

The boy grins, "That was wicked." he tells Star Girl after she hops him to the roof top.

Gossamer thinks. o O (Or is somehow causing these incidents....)

"I'm serious!" Star Girl says to the boy, over her shoulder, as she approaches the ledge of the building. "Stay put!" She hops back down to the street to rejoin Gossamer and the worker. "Are we ok?"

The boy does as he is told. The worker is still in shock from his near escape from immolation.

Gossamer says, "I think so - looks like the 'bomb' was actually that gas leak. I wish we knew who's giving these warnings though..."

Star Girl's eyelets blink. "Really?" she says, responding to Gossamer.

Star Girl asks Gossamer. "The message that you received, did it involve a Tarot card?"

[To Star Girl] Gossamer says, "The last time, too, seemed to be a case of precognition. At least the bad guys seemed really surprised we could have anticipated them - and yes, a tarot card."

The police arrive and begin clearing the street of traffic and onlookers. One of the officers heads over to the heroes, "What's the situation? Is there any danger here?" he asks.

Star Girl cocks her head a little as she questions Gossamer, "What do you mean, the last time?"

Gossamer says to the police officer, "I *think* the danger is past.... though a search of the area for a bomb might be a sensible precaution...."

Star Girl nods. "That makes sense. Just to be sure."

[To Star Girl] Gossamer says, "I had one of those tarot messages before. It led to a theft of a book by DEMON.... which reminds me, I really must try to get that book to the rightful owner. I wonder if she's back in town now...."

The officer nods, "Yes. We'll do that." He looks at the tanker, and the thermic cutting gear beside the manhole cover. Then he looks at the entangle patched tanker. "You saved a lot of people today. The city is lucky to have heroes like you two in it."

Gossamer grins. "Thanks. I never thought of myself as a hero!"

Star Girl says, "Really, it was all her -- I didn't catch your name?"

The officer goes off the arrange a bomb search. The worker goes off to find a open bar and have a stiff drink.

Gossamer says, "I'm going by Gossamer - maybe your saw me on the TV? That accident at the university?"

Star Girl says, "Oh? I might have been out of town for that..." She offers her gloved hand. "I'm Star Girl. Good work today."

Gossamer says, "Thanks!" and shakes Star Girl's hand.

Star Girl says, "The other time, what kind of tarot card was it?"

Gossamer says, "The Wheel of Fortune.... it was a lot vaguer as to place but very precise in time."

Star Girl says, "This time the time was off, but the place was spot-on. Hunh... reminds me of something one of the lab guys was telling me..."

Gossamer says, "Hm - what lab guys?"

Star Girl says, "One of the lab guys at Star Guard, back when I was trying to figure out how my suit works and what it runs on. But anyways... it looks like we have a precog on our hands."

Gossamer nods. "Looks like whoever it is is trying to help!"

Star Girl nods. "Yep."

Gossamer says, "Say - you're a superhero - do you know Ellbeth Wyrd?"

Star Girl says, "Not too well. Why do you ask?"

Gossamer says, "That book I mentioned was addressed to her, but she doesn't seem to be in town just now, or wasn't when I tried to reach her. And I don't really want to mail it given what happened the last time it was sent that way..."

Star Girl says, "I can have someone try to run down her current whereabouts."

Gossamer nods. "Thanks."

Gossamer says, "Nice meeting you - I really ought to be getting back to the lab now!"

Star Girl says, "Yeah. nice to meet you!"