Track Six: Up, Up and Away

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"I never realised it until today," says Liz, "but I make a rather smashing spy. My parents never told me what they did in the war, presumably because it was secret, but I think I inherited my talents from them. I suppose I'm the Emma Peel to Tony's John Steed. I wish he were with us now, but we can't endanger our covers by going back to Takara tonight. We should report to work as normal tomorrow morning and try to find out what happened to him. I think he's rather capable of looking after himself, most of the time. If he isn't this time, we'll be able to help him. In the meantime, I'd like to study these documents some more, the ones to do with the spaceship as well as the paper on gamma rays. It's quite fascinating, the concept of powering a spacecraft with lasers instead of rockets."

Further study of the documents reveals little more useful information; the technical details often refer to coded items that would be known only to the most privileged insiders. However, it becomes clear that the first voyager to the moon is intended to be what the paper on gamma rays refers to as an "enhanced human."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Zara nods to Liz's suggestion and finishes her over-large drink before heading off for sleep. She leaves her drawing materials nearby in case something comes to her that might help.

The investigators all get a good night's sleep. Well, "good" if you disregard the fact that Zara has a brief spell of sleepwalking, during which she produces a rather cartoonish drawing of several people, dressed in eccentric, very colorful outfits, often with capes, suspended above what seems to be a bright red cylinder emerging from something like a searchlight. Over their heads is what seems to be a chunk of Swiss cheese, of a peculiar teal color.

[jp1885]

Considering that Tony was responsible for all this chaos in the first place, it is only fair that he accompany the Professor back to the lab, so he doesn't argue.

"So, this radiation; it gives you powers, like Superman? That'd come in jolly handy for my, er, modelling career..."

[Mr. Handy]

Liz awakes refreshed. She finds separate secure places to hide the photographs of the documents and the negatives, not wanting to risk the Soviets possibly looking for them at her home.

[SunlessNick]

Zara shows the drawing to Liz and Lew, grimacing as she does at the quality of it. "I dunno, it might be important, but I kinda want to never see it again, or let it get out that it's mine."

[Mr. Handy]

"It looks like a child's drawing of superheroes," says Liz, examining it. "Curious. Perhaps others have been exposed to gamma rays as well."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Considering that Tony was responsible for all this chaos in the first place, it is only fair that he accompany the Professor back to the lab, so he doesn't argue.

"So, this radiation; it gives you powers, like Superman? That'd come in jolly handy for my, er, modelling career..."

The Professor sighs, as if he has had to deal with this sort of thing before.

"That is hardly an accurate description of my research into controlled human enhancement. I never look at those so-called 'comic books.' However, if you're really interested in the way that directed gamma rays -- only the ones produced during production of gravitic wavicles, mind you, for reasons far too technical to explain to a layman -- Takara can always use volunteers. That would be one way for you to get out of hot water with the company, anyway. Of course, it could mean some very long distance travel . . ."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Meanwhile, while the others return to Takara Electronics, they discover that there's a subdued but intense search throughout the facility, conducted by men in black suits who, curiously, don't wear identification badges but seem to have the run of the place. It's notable that the Professor's lab seems to be off-limits even to them, and, really, to everyone else, even uniformed security, since the incidents of the previous day. All personnel are questioned about the whereabouts of Tony, but the men don't ask about the Professor. These suited folks are tight-lipped, but one of the investigators overhears one say to the other, indicating the lab, "Well, we know he's not in there, at least. Not with what's going to happen." The other quickly hushes him up.

[jp1885]

Rightly or wrongly, Tony finds the lure of being able to leap ten stories in a single bound too much to resist. The fact that volunteering would keep the heat off him is his excuse to take such a dangerous step.

“Count me in Professor; where do I sign?”

[Mr. Handy]

Liz heads to the entrance to the lab, where she is normally supposed to work anyway, and checks to see if the professor or anyone else from there is hanging around outside.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

It takes several minutes of close questioning, both by uniformed personnel and the unidentified men in black suits, along with multiple, redundant identification checks, before Liz is allowed to reach even the outer area of the Professor's lab. Nobody else is around except Tony and the Professor. From the outer area, through a viewing window (apparently opaque to any dangerous radiation coming from the inner room), she is able to witness Tony, without a protective suit, standing before the whirling, humming gamma ray generator. The Professor stands at the controls, manipulating knobs and switches, in an unfathomable manner. Notably, he isn't wearing a protective suit either, but the radiation appears to have no effect on him. Tony, on the other hand, becomes visibly woozy, needing a hand from the Professor to remain on his feet.

Spoiler:

https://www.springhole.net/writing_role ... powers.htm

The obvious dizziness is understandable, as the peculiar transformation induced by the unusual radiation seems to be more mental than physical.

Tony:

Spoiler:

You hit the jackpot with this random superpower generator! Far too much so, in fact, so I'm going to have to limit it a bit. It gave you "reading minds, seeing the future, and teleportation"! I'll let you choose ONE of those, and we'll place some restrictions on it. Telepathy only within a meter or so, precognition only one day into the future, teleportation only a few meters or so, but it could go through walls, etc. Also, each use of whatever power you choose drains you of one point of whatever Basic Ability you choose to reduce, requiring a full day to recover.

[jp1885]

Victoria,Wow, I can see how that would seriously unbalance the game! I’ll go for teleportation if I may. Zara’s already got the precognition angle covered somewhat and reading minds doesn’t seem like Tony’s bag :) I think I'll drop DEX each time - no doubt such teleportation would leave him somewhat discombobulated.

Tony staggers as the Professor leads him aside to perform some medical tests.

Looking up, he spots Liz. Grinning ruefully, as if caught in some illicit act, he gives a guiltily cheery wave. However, in doing so, his body appears to shimmer, as if moving out of focus, before shifting a number of inches to the left and 're-focussing' itself.

“Oh I say, that’s rather new...” he mutters.

[Mr. Handy]

"You just couldn't resist, could you?" says Liz, shaking her head. She knows he can't hear her - unless he developed super-hearing or something - but there's always the possibility he can read lips. "Well, at least that looks to be a useful power. You're quite lucky. For all you know, you could have turned into a big green monster!"

[Starspawn338]

Lew will wander around the legal department and attempt to find out if there are any other Takara holdings where a launch to the moon could be based. Perhaps some purchase documents or liability waivers are in the files.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Lew will wander around the legal department and attempt to find out if there are any other Takara holdings where a launch to the moon could be based. Perhaps some purchase documents or liability waivers are in the files.

Spoiler:

INT = 16 + 1 FOR PROFESSION OF LAW = 17[dice]0[/dice]

Lew is easily able to obtain, while assuring the rather bored legal staff that he's just checking on land rights, some interesting information concerning the property deed for the very spot where he is standing now. It seems that Takara Electronics, for unexplained reasons, was careful to obtain complete rights to all the land under their facility; in legal terms, all the way to the center of the Earth, in theory. This required quite a lot of money and legal shenanigans to obtain. It also required diverting all sewer lines, gas lines, phone lines, electrical lines, and so on, from a large area under the place, centering on the region just below the Professor's lab. An appendix to this document reveals that there has been a great deal of excavation there; much more so that would simply be required to remove the said lines.

[jp1885]

Unable to hear Liz and suddenly remembering that he isn’t supposed to know her, Tony stops grinning and adopts a more professional mien. He thinks of an excuse to speak to his disapproving friend and update her on what he’s discovered.

“I’m sure you have plenty to catch up on Professor, perhaps your assistant is better placed to examine me, now that I’ve been exposed to the radiation?”

Assuming this is agreed, Tony focuses on the other side of the glass... and suddenly finds himself standing there in front of the lovely redhead.

Somewhat disoriented, he takes a step towards Liz, but trips as his legs momentarily adjust to their new location. Staggering forward, he grabs her for support, using the tumble as an excuse to whisper the in her ear.

“Let’s find somewhere quiet and catch up my dear. There’s much to discuss.”

OOC,-1 DEX for the day

[SunlessNick]

Zara returns to the typing pool, and tries to work more or less normally, as well as joining in with any gossip about events of the previous day. (As she had a good view of the blue gunk, she'll tell everyone about it to encourage competing stories).

[Mr. Handy]

"I'd better get you to where I can run some tests on you," says Liz, supporting Tony to keep him from falling over. "Would you care to go to the infirmary? We'll have to keep you in isolation until I can determine it's safe."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Zara returns to the typing pool, and tries to work more or less normally, as well as joining in with any gossip about events of the previous day. (As she had a good view of the blue gunk, she'll tell everyone about it to encourage competing stories).

The scuttlebutt around the water cooler is that the head honchos are discreetly seeking candidates from within the organization who can be trusted to keep their mouths shut; who have no close connections with other people, who might be concerned about their whereabouts for an extended period of time; and who would be interested in high pay for a position requiring extensive travel, and one not without risk.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Unable to hear Liz and suddenly remembering that he isn’t supposed to know her, Tony stops grinning and adopts a more professional mien. He thinks of an excuse to speak to his disapproving friend and update her on what he’s discovered.

“I’m sure you have plenty to catch up on Professor, perhaps your assistant is better placed to examine me, now that I’ve been exposed to the radiation?”

Assuming this is agreed, Tony focuses on the other side of the glass... and suddenly finds himself standing there in front of the lovely redhead.

Somewhat disoriented, he takes a step towards Liz, but trips as his legs momentarily adjust to their new location. Staggering forward, he grabs her for support, using the tumble as an excuse to whisper the in her ear.

“Let’s find somewhere quiet and catch up my dear. There’s much to discuss.”

From outside the inner lab, the pair can see the Professor gesturing for Tony (they assume) to come back. After a while, he shrugs and bends down, lifting up, in some manner or other, a trap door that was completely undetectable before now. He heads down a set of stairs and pulls it closed behind himself, and it once again becomes impossible to detect.