Log:Golden Genes, Scene 2

Golden Genes 2014/05/23 	 Mentalica Paragon

2

In the sewers close to the Yacht Club
This part of the sewer system seems to be an L-junction of some sort. A manhole overhead allows light to filter down into the area. Rungs leading up to the manhole appear to be well kept with little evidence of rust to be seen. A small trickle of water glitters off the sewer floor heading off into two separate directions.

When the swirling disorientation of the vortex clears Mentalica, the five agents, and Paragon, are all in a sewer tunnel. The tunnel is nearly dry, just a trickle of sewer water running down the centre of the slightly curved floor. Mentalica looks up at Paragon, "Let me..." she says, "make you a counter proposal. There's a manhole directly above us. You're welcome to make use of it."

Paragon takes a step or two to regain her orientation once the vortex clears. She looks at Mentalica and the agents, holding her hands up in pretend surrender. "That's...awfully kind of you," she says in unexpected surprise. She looks up at the Manhole, squinting at the few beams of light trickling through its holes to see if she can make out where she is.

The sound of traffic passing overhead comes down loud and clear after the chattering of numerous kitchen utensils, pots, and pans hitting the sewer floor ceases. The manhole cover has a few holes in it allowing light to enter but all that can be seen from below is tiny patches of sky, those occasionally blocked as a vehicle crosses the manhole.

Paragon looks back down to Mentalica, her face a calm, peaceful mask. "Again, I really do appreciate that you were concerned enough to try and not involve civilians. But I can't just walk away from this either," she swings one of her upheld hands down in another attempt to strike a nerve on Mentalica. Seeing as how Titan just walked away from Mentalica without blinking an eye, she figures something's tricky with this metahuman. The agents, though? She'll just have to risk whatever firepower they've got.

The hand swings down at an angle through the air swiftly, once again aimed at the nerve bundle at side of the neck between neck and shoulder. Whiff! The hand makes no contact as it passes right through. For just an instant, Paragon's eyes go wide in horror, thinking maybe she didn't hold back her strength enough and sliced a hand right through poor Mentalica! She withdraws her hand back quickly, looking at it shakily with fingers splayed and expecting to see blood.

But...nothing. She looks up at Mentalica and suddenly looks relieved to see the woman is unharmed. "I...I thought...oh, thank goodness," Paragon starts to calm down.

Paragon lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're not hurt." An odd thing to say to an opponent.

Mentalica has a slightly hazy appearance after she hurriedly shifts her physical form slightly out of phase. When she speaks her voice has a kind of empty echo to it. "I'm disappointed. You raise your hands in surrender and then attack me. I expected better of someone who calls herself Paragon." She looks at the agents, "Unless you have to defend yourselves do not fire. She is not wearing her armor. I do not know if your blasts would injure her and if so to what degree."

Mentalica stands. "Must I defeat you? I do not wish to. Paragon, you should learn to recognise when your position is hopeless and you must walk away. There is no shame in it. I was a hero once. I know how you must feel. But it will give me no pleasure to defeat you and I fear the experience will be unpleasant for you." She stands ready, hoping that her words will defuse the conflict.

Paragon bites her lower lip, looking disappointed in herself. Perhaps she's spent too much time around the other heroes. What would the Captain think of her now? "You're right, that was a dirty trick to play. Especially against an opponent who has been honorable. Even after that trick you pulled on Titan, I...should be better than that." Her hands are lowered and held at her sides. She blinks in surprise at Mentalica's revelation, her brow knitting in confusion. "Things are never hopeless. If you were a hero, then you'd maybe understand why I can't just walk away. Why are you doing this? Why would you turn to villainy after being a hero? There's still time to be a hero again, ma'am." Paragon seems truly baffled that a hero could turn villain. Sure, it's happened before, but she has difficulty grasping how that could happen. Her arms remain at her side.

Paragon's thoughts are troubled. o O (I'm always something slightly different without my armor on. It's so strange...why did I try to use deception? That's not me. That's not what I was taught.)

Mentalica speaks with definite feeling in her voice as she tries to explain to Paragon. "After a while I realised that for all the good I was doing as a hero nothing was getting better, Paragon. There were still criminals exploiting the weak and powerless. Children and their parents went to sleep hungry while a few lived lives of waste squandering enough in a week to feed every hungry child for a year. I decided I was going to change that. Can you imagine a world in which every child born has the strength and lifespan of Titan, the toughness of Ten, the intellect of Anthony Quinn. That is my aim. And the first step is to obtain genetic samples from the very best of heroes. Where else to start but in Colonial Bay City?"

Paragon blinks a few times, shocked by the unexpected answer. "Any amount of good you do helps; it at least makes a few lives better than before. But...you're talking about genetically engineering future generations. I can understand that reasoning *sounds* like a just cause. But that takes time. Planning. You would become a criminal to exploit the weak today for the children of tomorrow? Is that right? What happens to the current generation of children before these new metahuman kids are born?" Paragon's voice is compassionate and pleading. "Creating a generation of superhumans won't stop the existence of criminals. It will just change the playing field a little. And it may just be made on the backs of the less fortunate. What organization are you working for, that plans to build this perfect race without some profit in mind? Will they offer this gift to everyone, or just the ones who can pay?"

Mentalica says, "There is a philanthropist, whom I will not name, who shares my vision. He has build an organisation dedicated to this aim. If I could grant the gift to those children already born I would. But I too have to accept that some situations are hopeless. Should I condemn those I can help because there are those I cannot? And this will be given to all."

There is a logic to Mentalica's words. Paragon thinks very carefully before saying, "If you flip that around, you condemn those you can't help for the ones you can. But the thing is, you *can* still help them. You're just giving up on them as a lost cause because it's too much work. I mean, that's what it boils down to, right? It's a big obstacle to help the hungry and weak now, so let's ignore that and make it not an obstacle in the future. But maybe you can do both." Paragon ponders. "It sounds a little too good to be true if it has to be done secretively and through theft. I'd really like to wish it were true, but it takes more than just genetics to solve socio-economic problems. If your philanthropist can afford a grand plan like this, why do it in secret? And why not use that to help the hungry today?"

"You may not understand, Paragon," Mentalica says. "What I am intending to do is illegal. Banned by United Earth. Luddite laws passed by hysterical fools who understand nothing of genetics and the benefits it can bring. Inheritable and genetic disorders could have been erased from this world already. But no, laws prevent it. Well I will no longer pay heed to those laws. Laws that condemn children to die before they reach a year of age." Mentalica's voice rings with barely suppressed anger as she finishes her reply.

Paragon's voice is gentle and sympathetic. Her eyes soften as she seems to understand something at last. "You've...lost someone personally, haven't you?" she finally asks delicately.

Mentalica's face twists in remembered grief for a moment before she regains control. "Yes," is her one word reply.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Paragon says with heartfelt compassion. She doesn't have any fight in her. The letter of the law forbides helping, but it would be a benefit to people. The letter and the spirit of the law were always a trouble spot for Paragon's morals. She takes a step towards Mentalica, wanting to comfort her, then halts, remembering there are armed men who may take it as an act of aggression considering her last trick. Paragon is left processing what would be the right thing to do in this situation.

The bitter memories harden Mentalica's resolve, as they have done so many times when doubts assail her. She looks at Paragon with renewed determination in her expression. "Go. Leave. Do not make me fight you. Because I will if I have to. Nothing and nobody can be allowed to stop me from achieving my aim."

"I think I finally understand. You're still a hero; just one grieving and fighting on your own terms. I...I sympathize, really. Under different circumstances, I might even be working with you," Paragon says gently. "But I also can't just let you steal people's genetic material. Not for an organization that seems too good to be true. I'm sorry, but I can't let you go. Maybe if you returned what was stolen and gave up stealing, I could let you leave. But I doubt you'd be willing, given the circumstances and your beliefs." She still doesn't raise her hands to fight or even defend. Her overall expression is forlorn. "I really wish there could be a truly happy ending in this situation for everyone." In her heart, she's reluctant to fight this battle, and it shows.

Mentalica also looks saddened. But her determination is unshaken. "I'm sorry it has to come to this," she says. Then her eyes start to glow with a bright golden inner light.

Mentalica speaks, her words having an odd power. "Leave and do not return. Go to the lighthouse on the Island and stay there until dusk."

"It's okay," Paragon says soothingly as Mentalic apologizes. Then Mentalica tries to give a command that has the force of mental powers behind it. Her brow wrinkles for a moment as she tries to resist, but then her features smooth away to a blank expression. She starts to turn and head up the ladder rungs towards the manhole cover, compelled to leave.

Paragon sits on the roof of the lighthouse with her knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around them and her chin resting on her knees. She just sits there, enjoying the view as the sea breeze rustles through her bangs. After an hour, she suddenly blinks and sits up, looking around. "Now who's the tricky one?" she says with a slight smile. Then she sighs. "I guess I'll have to explain this one to the Guard," she mumbles to herself as she runs her fingers through her hair, holding her bangs back to keep them out of her eyes. She looks back at the city, still feeling sorry for failing to convince Mentalica to give up her new cause for her old one.

Paragon reaches into her pocket to check her phone on the time. She blinks and pats herself down. "Oh man...maybe it dropped in the sewer. Maybe I should just consider it lost and get a new one instead of trying to find it." Her nose wrinkles at the thought. But not one to waste money, she tries to find her phone for a few hours, following her path to the lighthouse and back to the sewer manhole she still remembers coming up from. Eventually she gives up, having no luck finding it.

Paragon climbs out of the manhole cover at CBSU well after dusk, having finally given up on the efforts to find her phone. It could have fallen out of her dress pockets literally anywhere during her travels to the lighthouse. The only good fortune she's had is that the sewer was dry and relatively clean. Staring at the sky, she can only guess at the time. "Oh no, dinner! Ken! I should phone...him...oh. Right." There seems little time to make dinner at this point, but perhaps she can grab dessert and treats on the way. She straightens out her suit tie and makes a leap for the nearest rooftop, heading for the coffee shop.