* January 20, 2009 *
Everything was going fine. For the moment.
When the Forge clicked in, Taylor Hebert, aka Doctor Curlyhair, winced. Not because she was expecting something in particular.
No, she felt a certain degree of dread because she'd begun accumulating points and repeatedly gotten missed connections.
At this point, her number of total points was staggering. Which meant that the various things she was not connecting to had a higher value than her points. Which was actually pretty scary how much could change with a simple 100 point acquisition.
She knew she was due for a connection. It could only go so long with only error messages, criteria not met, and other misses.
Finally, the rumble stopped and a connection to the Size constellation came up with a [Prerequisite Not Met] message.
[Achievement!]
Okay, Taylor opened one eye. Only then realizing she'd been clenching in anticipation of massive pain. That message was different, she wasn't sure what it was about as she hadn't seen anything like that very often.
[100 Days Between Successful Acquisitions!]
Yes, she could count too. That was one reason she was anticipating a certain degree of pain when it did hit.
[Points accumulated: 4950]
Yes, she could math too. Though she still wasn't clear WHAT generated points, she was pretty sure that time + accomplishments (her directly having a higher point value than indirect accomplishments such as the successful field testing of the US Army exoskeleton based on her work) divided by the number of times she failed to meet some ill-defined and possibly capricious goal was part of the partial AI's (the System that Washu left running the Celestial Forge) programming. Or at least that was her current theory.
[Congratulations! Though that is kind of a loser sort of accomplishment.]
"Oh, great. The AI is discovering snark," grumped Taylor aloud. "What a pity my perks regarding AI do not extend to other people's AI."
[End of Tutorial Phase approaching.]
"Yes, I'm aware," stated Taylor aloud, hearing an echo from the clones she still had active. Which meant they were all getting some of this at least too.
[It's dangerous to go alone. Take this.]
Wait. She'd heard that line before. Was the System quoting Uber and Leet of all things?!
"Why the hell do I have a wooden sword?" asked one of her clones over the intercom.
"Language!" chided another clone.
"English!" responded the sword-bearer.
"What kind of sword?" asked Taylor-Prime.
"Looks like a wooden practice version of a jian, militia version. Maybe the kind used around the 18th Century?"
Taylor nodded. They could make swords. They could make powerful swords. They'd researched them because other people had already developed swords through centuries of trial and error and it made sense to use that database. Most of the swords they made for trading purposes, specifically back on that nexus world, were "arming swords" such as were used in the 14th Century in Europe. A few longswords (circa the 14th-16th) and a limited production (12) of two-handed spadone-style swords.
"This leaves me with so many questions," grumbled Taylor, hoping to prompt some sort of explanation. An idea hit her. "What kind of wood?"
"Good idea," said the clone over the intercom. "Taking it to analysis. Maybe its a rare wood and we're supposed to go where it grows?"
No response from the System, not that any of them expected it to.
Nothing to do but check it out and see if that was some kind of lead. Washu didn't appear to be the sort to do anything without some sort of plan. Maybe not a good plan, but at least some kind of plan.
* Elsewhere *
"Many people had problems with President Hannibal Hayes and his Vice President Curry," Christopher said, speaking to his sword. The wonderful little blade his visit to the American's White House had gotten him. "For all his faults, including being an American, the man could think on his feet and adapt to changes. When you presented yourself to me, he made a production of gifting you to me. Appearing to take control of a situation blatantly not in his control. I found him quite personable, though how much of that was an act and how much was not is something I am unsure of."
The blade glinted in the light despite neither light source nor blade moving.
"I agree," said Christopher. "One of the twelve master swords crafted by Doctor Hebert. The two-handed blade Best Revenge. What wonders you will see after my own passage?"
The blade seemed to pulse somehow.
"Oh, don't be like that. I've lived a very full life by anyone's standards," said Christopher. "I've done things over many years, some great and some terrible and some both. Dismissed by the American press as just an actor when the gift of you was covered in their press."
The sword didn't answer in any manner.
Christopher nodded though as if it had. "When I do pass on, you'll go to the Queen to hang beside her own sword. Caliburn the Second, the Sword of Choosing. That way when Britain needs you, you'll be there. Best Revenge, the vampiric blade that drinks the blood of enemies in order to strengthen the wielder. I wonder of your other brothers, the ten still held in their vault for gifting out to heads of state. Will the new administration give them out as was the original intent? Will they simply molder in that vault until such time as needed? Their new President made such a thing about 'leveling the playing field' and destroying the unfair advantage of companies like ForgeTech prior to the elections. Perhaps they'll move here, would you like that?"
The sword did seem to glitter a bit in an unnatural fashion for a moment.
Sir Christopher Lee hung the sword back on the pegs that normally held it. "I doubt that outcome, but we shall see."
* White House Armory *
"... and these are the blades with anomalous properties that Doctor Hebert provided to go out to US allies," said Doctor Quest.
"There are spaces for twelve swords," noted the new Chief of Staff.
"As the press reported, several of these were gifted in the past year," admitted Doctor Jonny Quest. "Caliburn, the Sword of Choosing went to Queen Elizabeth II. Best Revenge went to Christopher Lee, though the sword chose him."
The new Chief of Staff was quiet for a moment. "Considering his history, the press may have mocked the former President for it - but I can see why a vampire sword would choose him as a wielder."
"Quite," agreed the aide. "All these swords have powers that will increase over time, according to Doctor Hebert. Century at least before they have abilities comparable to even average parahumans. The Canadians received Stormslicer, the Sword of Wind. The Mexicans, our most frequent trade partner have Wavebreaker - the Sword of Water. I believe they're using it to purify water for farming use."
"I would have thought the Canadians would have gotten the hydrokinetic sword due to what happened in Newfoundland."
"Yes, well, they did actually express interest in Stormslicer particularly. Not sure why the swords ended up in those countries specifically. The remaining eight swords are: Flamedrinker, Stonecarver, Stringcutter, Timeshaver, Shadowbinder, Thunder's Fury, Spellbane, and Final Judgement. I believe ex-President Hayes was planning on giving Spellbane to the Germans. A blade which can cut through illusions and free a shackled mind would be of great interest considering Gessellschaft's practices."
"Yes, well, we could use that at home all things considered. Slightly less so now that Heartbreaker is dealt with."
The aide nodded. "Over here we have the gravitic weapons. No anomalies here, just well manufactured and using very high technologies."
* January 21, 2009 *
"What about that little kid up in Brockton Bay?"
"The one that ain't even a parahuman?" The Butcher scoffed and took a long pull from her bottle, some of the whiskey leaking down her chin and dribbling onto her leather shirt. "What's the point? She ain't a parahuman so I kill her and then what? I just get hassled a lot by normies in power armor."
"They still got a lot of money and other stuff we can loot," pointed out Vex.
"And? Anything we can't get anyway?" asked the Butcher. After a moment she guzzled down the rest of her bottle and belched. After a moment she thought that was sufficient comment on that.
"We could get rid of the Slaughterhouse Nine, maybe," began Spree before shaking his head. "Oh right. They're dead. Nevermind. Oh, we could go after that Hebert kid and get a reputation boost! Kill the killer of the Slaughterhouse."
"Except," said The Butcher, wondering why the hell she/they had to be the reasonable one. She grabbed up a beer to chase the whiskey, because wasn't that what you were supposed to do? Then pointed with one finger at Spree except he'd made clones again. "Except that the Slaughterhouse weren't done in by no parahumans there either. Just normal people. By the time their Protectotrash showed up - it was all over but da cleanup."
"How many bottles of whiskey have you HAD?" asked Vex.
"Nine, ten?" asked the Butcher.
"Where the hell did we even get these?" asked Vex, picking an empty off the carpet. "We were running out just this morning, I was gonna organize a raid of liquor stores this afternoon."
Spree answered after a moment. "Oh yeah. Truck got stopped in the neighborhood, musta got lost with all that construction and traffic signs. Abandoned the vehicle with the keys still in the ignition, hightailed it out when he saw the signs this was Teeth territory."
Butcher XII mumbled something about how that proved their reputation didn't need to be reinforced as that was entirely sensible when faced with them. Or it may have been a comment about cheese. She was drunk, she was almost ready to pass out, and nobody was willing to ask for her to clarify.
Within a few hours, the bottles had been passed around and most of their capes were passed out.
Ten minutes after that, the gas from the crates downstairs had knocked out the rest of them.
* Thursday, January 22, 2009 *
"Hey hey, it's 0600 for you military types. And hospital workers. And anyone else who uses the 24hour clock. Marisha Igris here. Big news. With the discovery that ForgeTech had access to technology which could neutralize powers, PRT and FBI forces gathered to take down one of the bigger and more powerful criminal elements that could not be touched prior to that: the Teeth down in Boston.
"Longer term residents may remember the Teeth started here in Brockton Bay but tried to hire the Slaughterhouse Nine, and that belongs in the Very Bad Idea bin because the Slaughterhouse turned around and slaughtered most of them because hiring murderhobos always works so well!
"Nobody was willing to take down their leader, the Butcher because the Butcher jumps to whoever killed him. In the case of the young parahuman known as 'Butcher Number Twelve' the problem was that gal could teleport and had all the powers of the previous eleven Butchers. Anyway, ForgeTech had the means to keep the Butcher alive but neutralized so now its up to legal eagles and the judicial system to deal with the Teeth.
"Since Heartbreaker is now in Guild custody, sorry for everyone who still wanted a piece of him, he's looking at getting out of prison in... about five hundred years give or take a millennium. Guy's depowered so he can't go to the Birdcage.
"Considering his crimes, he might not last the year. People in non-parahuman prison take a pretty dim view of people who prey on children. Not that I, a stalwart siren of the airwaves, would ever suggest violence against someone in prison.
"Now that word of the whole 'remove powers' thing is on the table, let me point out what ForgeTech and the PRT are both saying. It is NOT recommended or entirely safe. It is not fast. It is not something that can 'cure' Case 53s since each of the so-called 'monster capes' are different and sometimes have very different physical stuff going on. There's a gal out in Iowa made of living crystal after all, and there's that guy Armor Ape who looks like a gorilla wearing armor - he's Nevada Protectorate I think.
"I mention this because the PRT has already put out there that this isn't a perfect solution and they're working with ForgeTech to see if they can do anything for those guys.
"I mean seriously people, there's a Case 53 up in Vancouver who has a sonic voice but his mouth keeps welding itself shut. There's a Case 53 in Florida who looks like a cockroach with a human head. If they get this sort of thing working they're going to have a priority on this stuff."
There was a rustling of paper as Marisha Igris went through her prompts. "In other local news, a drunk managed to get a construction Labor started and was tossing cars off of Archer's Bridge last night."
* Hebert Household *
"Whoa," said Taylor, her eyes flicking around apparently randomly. "This... this isn't very big point-wise, but it has possibilities."
"What did you get?" asked Annette, her newest notebook snapping open.
"I already had some dimensional technology, this just advanced it," said Taylor. "It adds to the Phantom Zone technology and things like the pandimensional blades. Hyperstructures existing in more than three dimensions. It has applications for other things as well."
"That's good," said Annette. "Did you hear about String Theory?"
"Yeah, crazy girl. Needs meds. Have they tried Reboot on her?" asked Taylor.
"She refused medication. Apparently she is comfortable within her madness," said Annette before taking a sip of her morning tea.
"Ah, well, not much to be done then. Birdcage?" asked Taylor.
"Yes, that was the Judge's decision. Otherwise she might actually shoot the moon," noted Annette.
"Shouldn't do that, we have a base there after all," protested Taylor. "What was she using as a power source for that, anyway?"
"Some sort of Tinkertech backed by three of your ultramech batteries," noted Annette as she brought the news story up on her tablet and then showed it to Taylor.
"Tinkers," grumped Taylor. "So much of their stuff makes no damn sense."
"Armsmaster and Dragon being exceptions?" asked Annette.
"Well, of course," admitted Taylor. "Mostly. Armsmaster still comes up with some 'why would you do this' stuff he's stuffed into his armor or a halberd. At least he's not just using halberds anymore. He's supposed to be a 'master' of 'arms' after all. Me and Dragon got after him on that. Containment foam grenade launcher on his skycycle, electro-net grenades when confoam doesn't work, vibro-blade shortsword for situations where there isn't room for his halberd, and so on."
"So what's this one called?" asked Annette, ready to write it all down.
"'Assembler' from 'Culture Minds' dealing with structures that extend out into infraspace and ultraspace," said Taylor. "Should be interesting to incorporate that into standing structures."
"Better finish getting ready, it's still a school day," said Annette Hebert, noting the time.
"Yeah, but this is one of the days a clone attends school," said Taylor. "I'm just about finished with the newest Astartes upgrades and I want to get those out as soon as possible."
* Saturday, January 24, 2009 *
The armor opened up like a flower so that he could step inside, then closed again once he was there.
"Identity Check Complete. Good Morning, Captain Cavill."
"Good morning," said Captain Cavill, though it wasn't strictly necessary to be polite to the limited-AI of the suit. "Status?"
"Batteries at 100%. Environmental Systems: Active. Forcefield: Inactive, Ready."
Captain Cavill checked his various weapons systems manually, listening to the system go on.
"Stealth field: Inactive, Ready. Point Teleport System: 3 charges remaining."
Captain Cavill nodded absently, looking to the rest of his squad as the suited themselves up.
"Drone connections: Inactive. Jump Jets: 100% Charge. Sensors set to Passive."
"Weather conditions?" asked Captain Cavill.
"Currently 33 degrees Fahrenheit, or zero point five Celsius, with a high expected in the low 50s or 11 degrees Celsius. Currently clear. Rain expected on the 28th."
"Understood," said Captain Cavill.
"Psychic Defenses: Online. Extending Shell Field. Shell Field Extended - Anti-Thinker effect at full."
Captain Cavill nodded. "What about the newest add-ons?"
"Attachment points are currently undeployed. Do you wish to deploy Dreadnought?"
"That would be overkill for current patrol," said Captain Cavill. "Any new threats?"
"PRT states three villains currently believed to have entered city within past twenty-four hours, none major."
"Link into squad chat," commanded Captain Cavill. "Give brief on new villains."
"Villain noted as Hijack, rebranded to Regent. Teenage villain, ability noted as partial override on nervous systems. Predicted to be ineffective against Astartes while within armor. Potential danger to bystanders. Outstanding criminal charges include twelve instances of Assault With A Parahuman Ability, one case of Arson, and three cases of Vandalism utilizing Plasti-Dip to scrawl messages critical of Heartbreaker."
"Acknowledged, next?" asked Captain Cavill.
"Unknown and unnamed parahuman. Power apparently consists of invisibility but only when unclothed. Subject seen robbing an ATM, then taking off their clothes, then the bag of cash last seen moving down Rowland Road."
"In THIS weather?" asked Captain Cavill, looking at the mostly-clear sunny skies and slight breeze - not to mention the thin skein of ice on water in the street gutters.
"Confirmed. ATM and security cameras were able to observe criminal in action."
"Third villain?" asked Captain Cavill.
"Jackpot," stated his armor. "Villain from Iowa. Rated by PRT as Shaker-3. Ability to influence probability within a ten foot radius towards favorable outcomes towards himself. Fleeing from Iowa Mafia."
"I didn't know Iowa had a significant mafia presence," mused Captain Cavill. "Chance of Jackpot being able to affect Astartes armor?"
"Unknown," stated his suit. "Also be on lookout for vigilante tentatively listed as Breaker-3, uses crossbows to attack from distance and then pass through solid objects when threatened. Tentative name from PRT is 'Shadowbolt' and is wanted for questioning regarding several charges of excessive violence."
"Anything else?" asked Captain Cavill.
"Magneto has filed reports on four new shipwrecks he plans on raising from the ocean floor and bringing to the docks. There have been filed injunctions against him doing so, with the reasons ranging from disturbing graves to interfering with archaeological studies. He has counter-claimed that as he found these through use of his powers, and that all are in international waters, that he can pull them intact from their current location by grabbing the metals used in their construction."
"Still? I thought he'd gotten through those hurdles," commented Captain Cavill as he checked his grenade launcher.
"Appeals and refiling of the lawsuits with different terminology," explained his armor.
"Okay, squad. Move out. Today's patrol is pattern J-5."
* Jackpot *
There were benefits to being a minor villain, not being worth the time or effort required for the authorities to go after one. There weren't a lot of benefits, but the ones there did rank rather heavily.
The coin most capes, villain or hero, went after was reputation.
Jacqueline Anne Potter, aka Jackpot, was after a different sort of coin. The sort that clinked so reassuring in her backpack.
This city was tempting, it had gone in a few short years from an American version of a Third World cesspit to a place where wonders could be found.
There were three casinos here, each within a few miles of the city of Brockton Bay. One was operated by the rage dragon known as Lung. Steal from that and she'd have to get out of town fast and stay away. Steal from the one just outside Brockton Bay operated by the Abenaki Native American Tribe? The downside of going after that one was that it didn't have the money that Lung's casino did. That left the third casino as the one she was currently observing.
The Golden Dreams Casino. Like Lung's operation - it was not a legal business. Like Lung's casino, the Golden Dreams offered a number of activities besides gambling that ranged from barely-legal to very-much-illegal. It had seemed the safest choice among the three until she'd been investigating for the past three hours.
She had briefly thought it might be an Elite facility. No, that didn't fit. While they had gambling dens, they didn't go for this level of flash.
She was pretty sure no Elite casino would have a Goofy Golf next door. It didn't fit their image at all.
Now she was just trying to figure out who DID run the place. She hadn't been able to find anything online, just an LLC with the casino's name.
Finally, she decided this was it. This was her time to do or die, with the sort of take they were likely to have on-hand - she'd be set up for a year or more if she had to hide afterwards.
Jackpot got to the doors, swept in with her usual flair, brandishing her shotgun, and announced. "Gentlemen and ladies! And all you magnificent others! This is a robbery! Put all your money out on the table and... oh crap."
Jackpot did not have a Mover power. It was not the first time she wished she had such a thing. It would not be the last such time.
Three Empire 88 Capes pursued, only Alabaster remaining behind just in case this was intended to pull their guards away from the money.
* Kaiser *
He was adaptable. He was a villain and in charge of an organization of villains.
That didn't mean he couldn't work within the law when it benefitted him.
Watching the third-string villain known as Jackpot running from an ever-increasing number of people because she chose to break the law in what was an actual legal casino situated just outside Brockton Bay proper.
If he had stolen anything, it was the idea from Lung. And why should he care about THAT?
"It appears that the ABB have now joined the chase," said one of the few competent new capes under his command. That Gesellschaft had sent him a cape with a weak power but who was actually capable of using her brain - their loss and his gain.
"Why are THEY involved?" asked Kaiser.
Frau Unsichtbar glanced at the monitor showing the chase. "Someone may have circulated word to various contacts that Jackpot, who has a reputation for robbing casinos and other such places where gambling takes place, was in town and about to try being a thief here."
"I see, but of course it couldn't be someone in the Empire because the thought that there could be any cooperation between the Empire and another gang would cause the authorities to panic," noted Kaiser.
"Not to mention the rabble in both gangs would become more agitated," speculated Frau Unsichtbar, shrugging her shoulders and spreading her hands in a "what can you do?" gesture.
"Of course," said Kaiser. Frau Unsichtbar was invisible, only her clothing and what she carried could be seen. That had a number of limitations but she could be very good within those limits. Unfortunately, she couldn't turn off her power.
That she wanted to eventually have enough money she could go somewhere like Florida where she wouldn't freeze her buttocks off was entirely understandable.
That he had found uses for the cape, despite the Empire's German backers only wanting to send them incompetent or useless capes, was something he found a certain degree of satisfaction in. She was a decent spy, learning the aspects she had no experience with quite readily, and could be used for courier duties quite easily. As long as weather permitted, of course.
Well, with this, she had definitely earned some indoor work.
* Thursday January 29 2009 *
"-thunderstorms knocking out power in several states, with the National Guard already kicking in emergency power through truck-mounted fusion generators though being able to repair the lines for regular power restoration is expected to take several days to weeks.
"This is Marisha Igris for WBBR radio, your sultry siren of the airwaves. Here this morning in studio - we have Assault courtesy of the Parahuman Response Team."
"Gooooood morning, Brockton Bay."
"I'm a little surprised after last time that they still want you to do anything involving call-in questions and answers or radio interviews."
"Honestly, I'm a little surprised myself. Though I've got a list of things I am no longer allowed to talk about on the air." (Rustling noise.)
"How many pages IS that?"
"Three hundred pages printed out. Four pages handwritten. One page of things that I AM allowed to talk about."
"Let's just go with that then. What's the latest word from the PRT?"
"'Fugacious' - meaning something that only lasts a short time."
"Why do I have a feeling that using a word of the day is going on the list of things Assault Is Not Allowed To Do?"
"You know my bosses? Anyway, the thing today is that the criminal Jackpot was run out of town yesterday - last seen clinging to the back of a truck heading West on the interstate."
"In costume, I take it?"
"What was left of it at least. Apparently she tried to rob a casino and she didn't pick the only one that does NOT have villains backing it up."
"The Abenaki casino, the Wolf's Den, doesn't have villains guarding it. It also is a lot more low-key than the other two. Can I ask why, if we know the other two casinos have parahuman criminals associated with them, why the PRT hasn't done anything about them?"
"Let me check... Nope. I thought I remembered that. Page 47, see?"
Taylor clicked the radio off, leaned back in her chair to regard the ceiling, and let out a deep breath.
The familiar sound of a roulette wheel. Surely nothing would happen again and she'd get back to working on her current project. It was a clone day at school after all.
A star got snagged and was brought down behind her eyes.
* Perks This Chapter *
It's Dangerous, Take This: (Achievement Award)
Wooden Sword: Juraian Tree in seed mode. 2nd Generation.
20.2.1-4-D Assembler (100CP)(The Culture Minds)(Future Tech Knowledge):
The Involucra were the builders of the Shellworlds, and your civ has a similar affinity for their construction methods. In what most humans think of as reality, these structures appear entirely normal, but to those who can see into hyperspace, they extend out of the skein of the universe into infraspace and ultraspace. 4-D architecture has very unusual properties, as it can be gravitationally self-supporting they do not crumble under their own gravity, or that of the stellar body they are on and are also heavily resistant to damage. Another unusual feature is that they also cut off all hostile forms of communication, travel or transport that attempt to pass through their walls displacement, hyperspace signals, wormholes, even beings recalled or summoned from elsewhere are prevented from passing through the structures' walls.
13.64.1-Complete Techbase (1800CP)(Orion's Arm: Sephirotic Empires)(Technology Database):
This 30km long ship is a repository of information of all of Orion's Arm's techbase. Yes, this includes all examples of godtech and xenotech.
FREE: Basic Genemods and Biomods: Almost every biont receives some measure of modding. You are now very resistant to most diseases, live for millenia, heal more quickly and can survive injuries that would otherwise kill (except for catastrophic brain damage) by entering a healing coma. In addition, you are now a very aesthetically attractive being among your brethren.
FREE: Basic Augmentation: Transhumanism is commonplace, and augments and enhancements are cheap and easily obtained. With this, you'll be faster, stronger and more intelligent than most baseline humans.
FREE: Ascension, Not Transcension: With so many changes in your life, it can be hard not to drastically change. Any changes you undergo will not affect your personality and your sense of selfhood unless you will it. You can also reset your mind back to its previous state if you so choose.