Log:Starguard Adventures, Scene 6

Starguard Adventures 2013/10/16 	 Abigail Bee Felicia Pleiades

6

Los Alamos National Laboratory (or LANL; previously known at various times as Project Y, Los Alamos Laboratory, and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory) is one of two laboratories in the United States where classified work towards the design of nuclear weapons is undertaken. The other, since 1952, is Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. LANL is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security (LANS), located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The laboratory is one of the largest science and technology institutions in the world. It conducts multidisciplinary research in fields such as national security, space exploration, renewable energy, medicine, nanotechnology, and supercomputing.

LANL is the largest institution and the largest employer in northern New Mexico, with approximately 9,000 direct employees and around 650 contractor personnel. Additionally, there are roughly 120 DOE employees stationed at the laboratory to provide federal oversight of LANL's work and operations. Approximately one-third of the laboratory's technical staff members are physicists, one quarter are engineers, one-sixth are chemists and materials scientists, and the remainder work in mathematics and computational science, biology, geoscience, and other disciplines. Professional scientists and students also come to Los Alamos as visitors to participate in scientific projects. The staff collaborates with universities and industry in both basic and applied research to develop resources for the future. The annual budget is approximately US$2.2 billion.

On the complex, the heroes are taken to Building 13, a classified research lab that stands alone from the other facilities on the campus.

Sigi looks around with restrained curiosity as their guide to the facility

Civilian clothing is at least comfortable. But it's not the comfortable outfits folks where for their days off that Abigail has suggested folks wear. It is whatever uniform the guards wear when transferring prisoners. Abigail did some research too, trying to figure out what the transfer plan was. Single vehicle, handful of escorts plus one small transport? Tying the doc to a horse and dragging her behind.. or whatever. The details are quite important, but she's dressed properly, reading whatever info she can get as the vehicle lands to let everyone out... she'll step off said vehicle last and approach the building slowly.

Staying quiet and keeping to the rear of the group Felicia does her best to lokk as though she's a perfectly ordinary highly trained paramilitary operative. Not having much idea what one of those looks like she decides to follow the Colonel's lead. Every now and again her eyes wander hoawever, fixing on pieces of equipment and buildings that might make really interesting platforms for bike tricks.

Sigi whispers, "I hope they realize it take me a while to activate Panzerfaust and Blitzraeder. I can't just spring into action like you guys."

Looking up from her plans, Abigail nods to Sigi, "That's why you'll be riding in one of the escort vehicles. You as well Felicia." Of course, she reserves the position of most risk for herself. "I'll be riding in the actual transport myself. If and when there -is- an attack, I will be counting on the two of you to bail me out while I buy time." And she says this as she walks forward. "And Felicia... breathe." she says with a grin.

Outside of Building 13, two men stand waiting for the group, a blonde man in his forties, and a slightly younger man with dark hair. They are uniformed security personel from a private sector firm contracted to protect the base. Name tags identify them as Lambert and Slater, respective. "Ladies," Lambert says. "Welcome to Building 13. If you'll let me scan your ids we can proceed."

Slater has a scanning device handy.

Sigi offers her ID

beep "Confirmed"

Lambert seems to recognize Abigail. "Hey... aren't you..?"

"... authorized to join the security detail as just another guard." replies Abigail in a soft voice as she swipes her ID over the scanner. She pauses to give a pointed look to Lambert, raising both brows.

"Absolutely ma'am... er, miss," Lambert says.

Slater raises an eyebrow, and looks to Lambert, to which Lambert just tells him, "Let's show them inside."

Felicia grins a little at Abi's advice and takes a deep lungful of air. "It isn't really necessary, but it does help calms the nerves. She blinks at the request for ID, glancing to Colonel Hearns who seems to resolve the issue by mind control or sheer awesomeness or something. She looks relieved to be allowed inside.

Lambert and Slater escort the group inside Building 13, which is a hollow shell set up around an elevator shaft that descends into the ground. Slater activates the elevator with a keycard and a retina scan and opens the doors. This is a freight elevator, easily 10m square and capable of carrying heavy down to the underground facility.

Giving Lambert a bit of a smile, Abigail simply steps inside, reaches up and lowers the brim of her uniform cap a bit before clasping her hands behind her back in a habitual pose of patience... she doesn't say another word for now, just waits for the ride to progress along.

Sigi rocks back on forth on her heels, her hands clasped behind her back as waits.

Lambert explains as the elevator descends. "Building 13 is used to house especially dangerous experiments," he says. "Buried safely under 100m of rock and sand. This is where some key breakthroughs in modern nuclear power were made. The reactors in service now are much safer than the ones from the turn of the century, thanks to the work done here."

Felicia adopts a similar pose to that demonstrated by Abigail only the stance comes a bit awkwardly. She looks around as the elevator slowly descends. "Well that's good news. My guidance counsellor said I should steer clear of radioactive disasters." She comments cheerfully.'

The elevator opens into a lobby area. There's a security desk here, where Lambert and Slater check everyone in. Behind the desk is the door to the security office, with guards and security monitors offering views of the underground section of the base.

Lambert says, "Here's the security checkpoint. And those stairs lead to the sub-basement, where we have the physical plant, and life support center." He points to a door leading to a stairwell.

"The prisoner is this way," Lambert says, leading the group to a hallway beyond the security desk.

Nodding slowly, Abigail steps off the lift. She walks without a word, adopting a bit of a slouch designed to pass her off as an hourly wage paid, rent-a-guard for the whole transfer angle. Basically, one of the guys, not someone who is in the elite Force Recon.

Felicia follows obediently and quietly as her attempt at levity goes over like a lead balloon. Her face settles into a stern, fixed expression, her lips faintly pursed.

Sigi follows along, humming quietly to herself.

The next 40m of corridor is for lab space, with doors leading to labs on both sides. Most of them have scientists inside, doing science. "These are the main labs. All research here is strictly need-to-know," Lambert says.

Lambert continues into the next section of hallway passing beneath a red color-coded archway. "This is the Special Operations laboratory. Even more secret than the previous stuff." The ceiling is higher here in this 40m by 40m square space.

This space is largely unoccupied.

(C'mon, you don't need to give us the tour you wouldn't give to any other guards...) O O o o. . thinks Abigail. She doesn't want attention drawn to her and her group. But she does let her eyes flicker about. One habit she has is knowing potential ways in and out of any location she gets herself into... not counting tunneling.

Sigi frowns, the sight awakening a unpleasant memory.

Felicia looks around wide-eyed at incomprehensible equipment being expertly attended by studious and accomplished researchers. Fortunately for the secrets of the nation she seems to understand what she sees about as well as she can read Mayan... but those machines sure are shiny.

Not reacting like Sigi, Abigail just... moves along. She's trying to get the job done, staying focused and all.

Lambert leads the group through the next 40m of corridor, which seems to consist mostly of store rooms. At the end is a closet with a window showing a lit room offering a view into a store room that's been remade into someone's living quarters.

"And here is the prisoner," Lambert says.

Dr Richards is inside the store room. At a glance, she's not terribly impressive. Standing shorter than five and half feet tall, with curly black hair that's going a bit gray. She's in her fifties, and could probably pass for someone's mother.

using all the prudence and caution that comes with youthful inexperience. Felicia rises onto her toes to look through the glass panel at the good Doctor. She does manage to refrain from waving and just looks around the room, confirming that there is in fact a prisoner inside.

Nodding, Abigail gives a quick glance into the cell before turning to stand beside the door like she's on guard duty. Once again, she simply prepares to wait for the task to move along towards the whole... transfer portion of this. She's -wondering- who the inside man here really is too. She just hopes it's not Lambert.

Sigi yawns and looks blankly at the doctor, affecting nonchalance.

Lambert opens the cell door. "Time to go, Doctor. Your ride is here." Dr. Richard steps out amongst the group. She's wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. She sighs. "We've been making a lot of progress here, too."

Felicia blinks. "Should we search the prisonar for contr... for stuff she shouldn't have?" She looks to Abigail for guidance, she's in charge after all.

"We are here to transfer the prisoner. I assume the prison has made sure she has no concealed weapons or other utility type items on herperson that would be used against us for her to make some sort of escape." Abigail, in her guard uniform says, hat brim still low.

Suddenly, there's a rumbling, and the intruder alarm goes off. Lambert checks his comm. "We've got multiple intruders by the elevator!"

Felicia looks around as the rumbling starts, then at the announcement she moves toward the stairwell, pulling her pistol out of her jumpsuit as she moves to investigate the threat.

Sigi holds out her hand, "Magic Skill: Yggdrasil Scan." A circle of runes appears beneath her feet and nine small portals appear floating in front of eyes.

Bee steps out of hiding, throwing aside the trenchcoat that helped conceal her wings and switches off the system that helped conceal her identity. "That was quick," she comments idly.

"You might want to get back in the cell Doctor." suggests Abigail. "I don't think these people arriving are actually here for your health or well being." she adds with a gesture inside before stepping towards the doorway. "Felicia. Hold up. Let's make sure we know what we're up against before we charge out there. That could be a diversion to draw us away from the Doctor."

Bee thinks, "One of these days I'm going to get a portable teleport unit. These away games are killing me"

At Abi's call Felicia skids to a halt. "Oh, right." She moves back to where Abi and the doctor stand, somewhat more slowly than she left, looking around to try and see what might be going on.

Sigi says, ". . . Four... human... animal... hybrids. ... Dog? Others?"

Felicia's eyes narrow as she looks to Sigi. "Dog man hybrids?" Her tone is a combination of incredulity and outrage. "Who the hell does that? Seriously guys." She looks to check that Dr Richards is in sight.

Sigi says, "... Beats.. me...""

Dr. Richard's eyes narrow. "This is some sort of trick, isn't it..."

Meanwhile the creatures in the lobby are on the move.

Sigi says, "... They're... moving..."

Bee kicks on her force field. "If we are lucky, all we need to worry about are teeth and claws," she comments brightly.

"If it was a trick, I'd say... pick a card, put it back in the deck, and then I'd tell you which one you picked. This... this is as real as it gets. Now, someone sent animalistic predators to kill you. I'm guessing they're not going to pause to engage in polite conversation. So... do me a favor Doctor, help me keep you alive, and get back in the cell?" Then she looks to Lambert, "When she does, lock the door and do me a favor, reset the keycode if you can." That is assuming of course, that there is a keypad by the cell door and it isn't opened totally by remote.

Sigi says, "Strong one... staying... guarding? One... digging, hiding... in wall. Insect... coming. ... Dog... sub-basement... stairs."

Dr. Richards does as she's told. She retreats into the cell. Lambert locks the door and enters a new combination for it. "There," he says.

Felicia moves to stand near doctor and then blinks as she looks over the new scenario. "So if the tunneling insect-dog-larvae thing goes past us and into the cell she'll be wormfood before we get the door open right?"

Sigi says, "Insect, one... Dog... other. Not same..."

Sigi says, "Digger... other."

"That depends on whether the cell is durable enough resist the insect's tunneling power." She eyes Lambert and murmurs, "Might be best if you told us the new combination too. I just don't want the attackers to have it. Understood?" she asks as she prepares, rolling her neck, "Looks like this is going to get ugly... so Bee... Pleia... Felicia. Prepare yourselves..." Her hands begin to glow as she speaks, her uniform just kinda hanging on her and doing very little to disguise her anymore. Oh she's still wearing it... it's just that this is now -her- bearing....

Sigi staggers from the strain of maintaining the Yggdrasil Scan. "Don't... know.. how much... longer. Can... maintain.

Felicia nods. "Right, okay, well I'll apologise to insect man and dog man when they show up." Making sure her weapons are ready and available, she stays in front of the cell, hoping to act like some sort of shield, additional to the door."

Bee kicks the force field back off and pulls a few items out of he utility belt. "Save your strength. We will see them for ourselves soon enough."

Sigi says, "Panzerfaust... Blitzraeder. Prepare..."

Sigi her pendants glow and begin transforming in her gauntlet and skates.

The big one with the strong life signals is tangling with the security staff in the lobby and winning handily -- it seems like the don't have any weaponry that can harm him. Insect makes a detour. She stops in the super secret lab and hovers by the tank containing the person in suspending animation. Dog goes into the sub basement, heading for the life support section.

The digger holds his position underground, hiding out it a little cubby hole.

Sighing, Abigail shakes her head, "Well, if this is a diversion, it's a good one. We're deep underground. If they take over life support, they can practically dictate terms. Also... I'm not sure if we shouldn't stop them from going after suspended girl out there." She closes her eyes, thinking.... trying to figure out something... this is the hard part of command rank... having to make the tough calls...

Sigi weakly mutters, "Shield Jacket: On." A brilliant glow and multiple magic circles surround her as she transforms into her hero ID.

"Hey! Nice skates!" Felicia cheerfully approves. then as Abigail gets to cogitating the situation she falls quiet and go back to beaing a speed bump in front of the door.

Sigi's vision portals fade as she collapses to one knee, her eyes glassy. "Warning: System power at critical. Rebooting."

Lambert lets the group know the new combination.

"Take a breather Pleia... yeah... they're trying to split us up. Lambert... stay put." she suggests as she steps forward, "Felicia, back up Pleiades and Bee. My suggestion, if you can get a clean shot on their digging insect, take it. That one seems to be their transport out of here. They've got to be trying to draw us out and the problem is, men are being injured, maybe killed out there and we can't just stand here and let them take out life support -and- security personnel. Lambert... where's life support? I'm going to go secure that, and then engage the one attacking the group of guards. I don't want you guys splitting more off of your force total to support me. I'll call for backup if I need it." That said, she prepares to head out when she is told where life support is.

Meanwhile, the animal hybrids continue to act. With Sigi's sensory net down, you're not sure what they're up to until more alarms start going off. "Warning -- Life Support Systems shut down. Air circulation with surface disconnected." "Warning -- containment breach in boric-acid coolant tank. Reactor restart imminent."

Sigi fumbles for her gauntlet and skates. They open and begin latching on to her, a complicate series of interlocks and access ports connecting and securing them in place.

Abigail's quickfire instructions are greeted with a nod from Felicia. "So, stay here and shoot digger-thing, while you go off and beat bad guys single-handed." Her eyes widen and she nods. "Check."

Lambert says, "They're trying to free Radium!"

Slater says to Abigail, "Life support is in the sub basement. Stairs are in the lobby where the big guy is."

tube?" suggests Abigail. Yeah, there was a frozen metahuman female in a tube y'all passed, Radium... "Well, looks like I'm going through the big guy then." she mutters, "Team... seriously, don't just blindly follow orders, combat is fluid. Use your best judgement. If you think you need to do something, then do it and just communicate with us all, okay?" she asks before she glows and rockets off out of the room.
 * Sigh* "Bee, you're scientifically minded, see if you can keep Radium in her

Sigi eyes refocus, "System rebooted. Power levels recovering. All green." She blinks and finishes locking her gauntlet and skates in place. "I... I should go help with the big one. I'm a close support mage, it's my position."

As Abigail streaks off Felicia pats Plei on the shoulder. "Follow Bee, sounds like she's got to deal with Radium and whoever rescued her. So it'll be two on one if she goes alone." I'll hold here."

Bee nods and does as instructed

Sigi nods, "Blitzraeder, Hurricane Stampede!" Her skates chirp, "Ja, Kumpel!" as a runic traingle forms beneath her feet and she skates swiftly toward the fight.

And as she heads towards the stairwell, Abigail starts glowing far more brightly. Over her comm she says, "Apologize to Lambert for me. I'm going to be doing some... structural damage." Then she angles downward and slams into the floor that moments before she hits, has already begin liquifying and vaporizing from her plasma field. Yep, tunneling to avoid the big guy and to head straight for life support.

Abigail is in the life support section of the sub basement. In plain view is the computer console controlling the system. Unfortunately the controls have been clawed to bits. Little does she realize is that someone is lurking in the shadows for her. Enter: The Jackal

The Jackal: This looks like some sort of man-dog hybrid, with brown and black fur, vicious looking claws, and nasty teeth. He's wearing dark colored compression shorts, and nothing else.

Well, Abigail is expecting an ambush. This doesn't make it not an ambush, just makes her able to say, 'Yep, I knew it...' after she gets the pee beat out of her. "Tell me there's a backup or auxillary system we can switch to. They didn't take over life support, they scrapped the controls." she says as she lands and steps to the console.

As Bee and Pleiades enter the special operations lab, the are confronted by a fly-woman hybrid hovering in mid-air. She seems to have blasted a hole in the tank containing Radium and the coolant inside is draining faster than it can be replaced. Enter: Mayfly

Mayfly: A fly-woman hybrid. She's dressed in a dark blue uniform with black trim, cut to allow her fly-wings to buzz freely on her back. She has a mix of bug feature and human features: red bug eyes, gray-black skin, red hair cut in a short bob, slener bust and hips.

There's a rumbling as the big guy from the lobby begins to storm forward in the direction of Bee and Pleia. Enter: Elephant Man

Elephant Man: A mountain of a man, who looks like a cross between an elephant and a professional wrestler. He's got grey, think skin, floppy ears, and an elephant trunk. He's dressed in a dark blue uniform with black trim.