THOMAS: MUNICH LAUNCH [Thomas Hardenberg is an inventor who's spider-like satellite repair robots are scheduled to be carried into orbit and put in place by Paladin. In the days before the launch, Thomas has experienced protests and acts of vandalism by demonstrators who oppose the metahuman's involvement in the space program. So it is that the day of the launch, he waits nervously, wondering if the protests and vandalism are all part of a large scheme.] [GM] Morning: The Oberpfaffenhofen European Space Agency Control Center, 20 km west of Munich. Frank was pacing anxiously in front of the administration center when Thomas arrived this morning. This entire project has been rather stressful on him, and Frank has never been very good at handling stress. Thomas, Wolfgang and Karen ride together to the launch site, out on the vast, open, paved strip beyond the control center. Thomas' two coworkers and best friends naturally want to see all their hard work come to fruition. (And Karen has her own reasons for wanting to see the launch, as she tells Thomas with a teasing grin.) It seems like nothing more than a formality to use the concrete launch pad...after all, there is no rocket sitting there. The framework that normally holds a launch vehicle is empty. Instead, there are just a half dozen ESA technicians, running more (unnecessary) diagnostic checks on Thomas' two robots, which are now safely wrapped in a ceramic envelope designed to protect them from atmospheric friction, though their ascent is not supposed to be that fast. Thomas and Wolfgang disassembled and reassembled the robots several more times during the past two days, and confirmed for themselves that absolutely nothing had been altered. Last night, with great reluctance, Thomas turned them over to the launch personnel, so they could make sure that the communications links were properly enabled, and so they could put the protective ceramic envelope around the basketball-sized, spider-like devices. Thomas was reassured that the Bundes Kriminl Amt was maintaining surveillance over the entire facility, and his robots would never be out of sight of either an ESA or a BKA agent. Nonetheless, because of the disturbing events of the last few days, and of course the excitement of the launch itself, no one got much sleep last night. The launch package sits on the concrete pad, while Frank and Thomas and everyone else scans the skies worriedly. It's an overcast day, with a bit of wind and the possibility of rain. Normally, the chances of the shot being cancelled on a day like today would be pretty high...but it shouldn't affect the launch this time. "I think you're right, Thomas," says Frank. "He's going to nonchalantly arrive at the last minute...I hope." The minutes tick by. It isn't quite the *last* minute, but close to it, when Karen shouts and Wolfgang points. A speck on the horizon is moving closer, rapidly, and with a rush of air, Paladin zooms into sight, descending towards the group of people clustered around his payload. <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas pretends to be relaxed, but inside he is trembling. *Why are all those technicians running around, there is nothing they can do anyway?* he thinks, partly because of this unknown danger partly because they fiddle around with HIS robots. When Paladin finally comes into sight Thomas smiles. He knew that Paladin would arrive late but in time. "Hello Paladin, I'm honestly glad to see you. Here are my co-workers, Karen, my personal assistant, who seems to be more interested in the means of transportation than the launch itself and Wolfgang, who is largely responsible for the actual realization of the robots. The nervous one over there is Frank, you met him already." Thomas and Frank will then give Paladin a briefing about the launch and what to do in space. [By the way, there is no launching site in Oberpfaffenhofen, the European Arianne rockets are launched from French-Guyana in South- America, but who cares. ;) ] <><><><><> [GM] Karen pouts, blushes a little, and gives Thomas a light kick in the shin for the "means of transportation" comment, then smiles charmingly as Paladin shakes her hand and gives her a sunny smile and a wink in return. Paladin listens to his instructions, nodding, as he's already familiar with them. "No problem," he says. "I'll have it up there and your robots in place within half an hour. Easy as pie." He walks over and picks up the ceramic "launch" envelope. While this package is tiny compared to a normal satellite launch payload, with the robots, the guidance systems, the communications array, and the ceramic envelope itself, it still weighs about a quarter ton. He tosses it lightly in the air as if it were an empty cardboard box. The techs make sure that the shielded LCD panel on the outside of the envelope is working- this is how Paladin will be given any adjustments and other instructions; the control center can send messages by radio which will be displayed on the panel. Since Paladin carries no oxygen supply with him, a radio wouldn't do him any good once he reaches vacuum. The possibility of a bone-induction transmitter was discussed, hooked to his jaw, but it was uncertain whether it would stay on as he flies out of the atmosphere- or for that matter, whether his invulnerable body would transmit the vibrations from the device so that he could hear them. Someone is working on a prototype for later testing. "All systems go," says the lead engineer. "The robots are responding, and ready to be activated as soon as he takes them out of the package." "Like unwrapping a Christmas present, out in space," says Wolfgang. Paladin nods, and lifts off soundlessly. He accelerates gradually, as the engineers on the ground confirm from their readouts that the payload is handling its ascent well, until he is travelling at just below the speed of sound. Quickly, he is a speck in the sky, almost invisible- "Uh oh," says one of the techs, looking at the monitors. <><><><><> Thomas: Everything went so well, and now his robots will be in space any minute, Thomas forgot the lurking threat and his paranoid thoughts. Now he has to work on the satellite and show that his robots are useful in deep space (and earn a lot of money if they work ). He was still looking at the point where Paladin flew into the sky, his thoughts partly by his robots, partly considering the work to be done, when one technician said "Uh oh,". His heart missed a beat. He spins around, his thoughts bouncing in his head, trying to shatter his skull. "WHAT ?!?" <><><><><> [GM] "We've lost contact with the robots," the tech says. "No response....the transmitter/receiver has gone out, on both of them!" "How could both have an identical malfunction?" demands Frank, suddenly just as tense as Thomas. "I don't know...." the technicians worriedly check their instruments and send signals, trying to reestablish control. "We still have a link with the gauges on the launch envelope, and a feed to Paladin's comm screen...but the robots- it's like they suddenly disappeared!" <><><><><> Thomas: "DISAPPEARED??" Though the rational part of Thomas tells him, that nowadays many things are possible, his emotional side refuses to believe what happened. His thoughts are spinning faster and faster with no conclusion. "Tell Paladin to come back immediately!" Thomas shouts at the technician, and than in a calmer tone "Please.". "Supposed that they are disappeared, what is the reason, ... and who could manage something like that?" Thomas looks at Frank and with a sarcastic smile he asks "Do you remember my joke about the alien's masterplan?" <><><><><> [GM] Frank concurs, and the communications officer types a message to Paladin on his screen. "Wait- I'm getting signals again!" says the technician who's monitoring the robots. "But...only from one of them. All communications went dead for a few moments, now we have signals from *one* of the robots, but they're erratic. Something's definitely scrambled, maybe the array's been broken..." "Call him back," Frank repeats with a sigh. Looking to Thomas, he says "With a little luck," he doesn't look optimistic, but then, Frank isn't an optimistic sort to begin with, "it'll be some minor problem that we can fix in time to send Paladin back up today." Paladin starts to descend. He disappears in the blaze of a miniature sun. Frank gasps, Karen screams, and Wolfgang says "Oh s******!". Then everyone is reeling, as the blinding light burns their eyes. Everyone feels the heat on their skin an instant later, and amidst the screaming and the sounds of equipment being knocked over in a panic, someone yells "Get DOWN!!!" Then the shockwave hits, and the earth trembles with the impact. The glass windows of the control facility explode inwards, and Thomas is hurled through the air, and his skin seems to be on fire. Everything slows down, becomes muted. He feels frozen in time- he's not aware of any motion, and can hear nothing but a distant roar. Lightning is crackling all around him, and his vision is engulfed by sparks and rippling sheets of flame. <><><><><> Thomas: *Something is terribly wrong*, Thomas thinks to himself, suddenly one robot seems to reappear. Thomas doesnt believe that there are just communications problems. "This is the trap..." he answers Franks week sign of optimism, "... we fools! Tell Paladin to ..." when suddenly a second sun appears in the sky where Paladin should have been. Thomas is frozen in a mixture of shock and fascination, unable to react, until he hears Karen scream and Wolfgang swear. He turns to Karen and tries to shelter her though his vision is destorted by the blinding light and the heat, when feels the shockwave and is send flying through the air feeling like a living torch. When he experiences the strange sounds and visual effects he wonders if this is it, the end? Will he now see the film, as they always say, his life rolling before his eyes? But then this is different from any near death experience he ever heard of. "What is happening to me?" <><><><><> [GM] All around you, people are cringing behind desks and consoles, if they haven't been thrown violently across the room. You see flames everywhere, and the glass panels on the building's exterior have been shattered and melted. Some people are screaming, or rolling on the ground trying to extinguish their own clothing. You see Frank curled into a ball, moaning and covering his face. Something Paladin told you last night comes back to you: *Far as I can tell, nothing this side of an atomic bomb can hurt me.* Numbed with horror, you realize that someone must have followed that line of reasoning, and took the next logical step. "Logical". The destruction is bad, but not total. Paladin was at least a mile up when the bomb went off; it couldn't have been a very large one. Large enough to bathe everyone here with lethal amounts of radiation, even if they survive the initial blast, though. You feel funny. Radiation doesn't affect people that quickly, does it? Odd- one thing, after the initial jolt, you weren't thrown about much. And you still can't feel the heat, even though you're STANDING IN A FIRE! Startled to notice this, you jump away, and see a shower of sparks rain down all around you. For that matter, you feel very light- You jumped into a computer- literally! You are STANDING INSIDE A SOLID OBJECT! <><><><><> Thomas: *Ha ha, 'Far as I can tell, nothing this side of an atomic bomb can hurt me'. I hope you were wrong Paladin!* After the initial shock, Thomas is still confused, but recognizing his surroundings. In a reflex he jumps out of the fire and lands IN a computer. *Oh Schei***, I'm dead and a ghost like in that terrible Patrick Swayse [??] movie. But then, where is my corpse?". Thomas looks around, but isnt quite convinced, that he realy is dead. He then tries to walk around, and wants to look for Karen. [I hope her nerves are better than those of Demie Moore in the above mentioned but better unmentioned film ] <><><><><> [GM] Thomas feels strange, but not dead. On the other hand, what does being dead feel like? There's definitely no corpse lying around, though. It's easy to walk out of the computer, though it explodes in a shower of sparks behind him. He sees Karen sitting on the floor, covering her face and drawing breath in and out raggedly. Wolfgang is lying on the floor unmoving, and Frank is staggering around covering his face and howling. Everyone else seems to be in various states of injury- a couple people who were standing too close to the windows have glass melted against their skin, and there are technicians lying bloodied on the ground as fragments of their computers and other assorted debris blasted them like schrapnel. Those who are able to function are grabbing fire extinguishers, or trying to help the severely injured out of the building. Sirens and alarms are sounding everywhere. Oddly, no one seems to be paying attention to Thomas at all, making him feel more like a ghost than ever. Then someone actually walks right through him! The person jumps, startled, and says "Yowch!", dancing away from Thomas as if burned. He looks around in a panic, then shakes his head and limps over to Karen. <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas is glad that Karen is alive and in a relative good condition, but he is worried about Wolfgang. His last 'encounter' showed him, that he'd better not 'touch' people. *And things?* he thinks amused. So he walks/floats/whatever to the next at least partially working terminal or small device and tries to reach into it [assuming that nobody is in dangerous distance]. Then he tries to 'grab' a piece of metal, plastic and a sheet of paper. Thomas is fascinated by his state, he thinks he is at least partially in another dimension or in a shifted state of physical existence. *Nonsence* says his rational part *your grandparents told you not to read those comic-books!*. Smiling he continues his experiments, disregarding all the more frightening questions (why, how to change back, food, why do I not sink into the ground). But he can hear people, so he starts a new experiment. He walks toward someone not to busy or hurt, preferably Karen, touches her very slightly and tries to talk to her [Does Thomas breathe? Can he breathe?], project his thoughts to her or read her mind. He seems to get silly, playing the 'can you hear me' game, but he tries to fight the shock. <><><><><> [GM] Thomas doesn't feel any sensation of breathing, which really alarms him, but since he still seems to be alive nonetheless... Karen jumps when Thomas touches her, and he sees what looks like static electricity crackle where his fingers merge with her sweater. She looks around in confusion and pain...Thomas winces to see burns on her face. He can't sense her thoughts, nor does she seem to hear his attempts to project his own. When he tries to talk to her, however, an odd thing happens; he generates a buzzing sound, and Karen's eyes widen and she backs away from Thomas, scooting on her butt across the floor. He sees that others, those who are cognizant of their surroundings, are also turning to stare at him. <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas moves away from the people, watching them if their eyes follow him. He looks up and down himself, what does he see? He then tries to move faster. He thinks that he is some kind of e(le)ct(r)o-plasma, so why not move with the speed of lightning... He wants to make some other tests and looks for a terminal or computer that is still working. Thomas tries to communicate with it, first without making contact, just by thought, then by 'voice' and finally by touching it slightly, hoping to avoid the total destruction of the first time. He also tries to manipulate objects, metal, plastic and paper or a wooden pencil. An interesting choice would be some liquid, water, coke or coffee. *Perhaps I have become something like Pulsar?*, so he tries to listen to radio-waves or see in another spectrum. *But if I am really living electricity?* Thomas asks himself puzzled, so he experiments with a cable. 'Feeling' electricity or sucking it, 'crawling' into the cable and moving inside. *I will have to change back eventually, ...* he thinks a bit frightened, but he puts those thoughts away, thrilled by his new gained state of existence. *A month ago I didn't believe in super-beings, and now I seem to be one myself! Most foreboding!*. <><><><><> [GM] You look almost perfectly normal when you inspect yourself, except that you're glowing, and slightly translucent. You're able to float yourself around the control center pretty rapidly...but certainly not at the speed of light. You aren't able to "communicate" with the computer that you focus on...but as soon as you touch it, the monitor flickers, then burns out with a flash, while wisps of smoke rise from the keyboard. While you think about other tests, you can't help but notice that everyone is still in a state of panic. Absorbed in your new powers, it seems to have slipped your mind that an atomic bomb just went off overhead... Of course, you're generating a bit more panic yourself, since you seem to be still visible. And when you catch your reflection in a window, you see that your appearance doesn't seem to reflect the same as it does in your own eyes...you appear as a pulsing cloud of sparks and flickering bands of energy. People are staring at you, and pointing, scurrying to stay away from what must appear to be some bizarre side-effect of the atomic blast. <><><><><> Thomas: Seeing his 'energetic' image in the window [there is still one intact?] wakes Thomas up from what seemed to be childish exploration of his new abilities. For the first time he realizes the full destruction the bomb caused in the control-center, and he wonders how it must look outside. *But what can I do, except buzzing around, frying equipment and people?* Instinctively Thomas fears to change back, but he looks for a place where he can't be seen, preferably in the control-room, behind some debris or terminal. There he sits (?) down concentrating on changing back. He imagines his sparkling form and tries to morph it to his normal form (this looks quite like materializing form a Star Trek transporter beam). If that is unsuccessful he tries to pull or suck his glowing form inside his body swallowing or absorbing it [the opposite of turning inside out ]. <><><><><> [GM] Drifting down behind a bank of computers, you concentrate on 'materializing'. Your entire body seems to spark madly, and after a moment you realize it IS sparking madly, sending showers of sparks flying about the room. And parts of you seem to "solidify" for a moment....but the air around you feels hot and electric, and waves of invisible energy seem to wash through you, interfering with your ability to shift "frequencies". At least that's the best analogy you can come up with. There seems to be some kind of electromagnetic field that's interfering with yours. Of course, it occurs to you that in the aftermath of an atomic blast, the residual effects on the electromagnetic spectrum are generally quite severe. <><><><><> Thomas: Sitting between sparkling terminals and a lot of metal things Thomas decides to go outside and find a place without metal and cables. There he will try to change back. If there still is that strong electromagnetic interference, Thomas will try to find the source, if his senses allow it. On his way out he tries to hover in the air. Thomas wonders what it will look outside, how big the damage is. He also thinks about Paladin, whether he survived (and in what condition) or whether he was blown into smithereens. <><><><><> [GM] Outside, there are fires here and there all around the Oberpfaffenhofen. Emergency vehicles are converging from all directions. [Can you tell me more about what the site actually looks like; is it a small town, a heavily industrialzed region, a remote area surrounded by hills, etc? How many people are likely to be around?] You can hover in the air easily. There doesn't seem to be any sign of Paladin. And you still feel the electromagnetic disturbance disrupting your "body", though there's less interference out here, where you don't sense the near proximity of so much metal and electronic equipment. The lingering effects of the atomic blast still feel...unpleasant. Suddenly there's another bright flash of light, almost immediately in front of you. For a moment, you panic, thinking another blast is going off. But the flash resolves itself into a holographic image of a young man, hovering in the air before you. "What the f***?" His voice booms out in English. <><><><><> Thomas: [Oberpfaffenhofen is a village near Munich, I'm not certain but I think far under 5000 inhabitants. All the surrounding towns are also under 5000. I send you a map per mail, Oberpfaffenhofen wasn't shown, but it is a part of Weßling so it should be the part north of the small airport, I marked it in white. Most of the small villages aren't shown, they are under 500 inhabitants. The ESA facility should have around 500-1000 people. This is pure speculation, because I wasn't able to find any good information.} "Was für eine Sch..." Thomas shouts nearly synchron to the holographic image. Thomas becomes used to swearing, but not to all those surprises that seem to haunt him for the last weeks. He is glad that there wasn't another explosion, but this holo makes his wonder what will come next. "I know this is silly, but can you understand me? My name is ... Thomas and I seem to be mutated by this atom-bomb! Who are you, and why are you here, if you are really here?" Thomas hesitates a bit to tell his name but then he thinks it doesn't matter. The initial reaction of the holo makes Thomas believes that this stranger isn't responsible for the explosion. He is not quite sure whether the first bonmot of the stranger was meant to him or for the chaos around. <><><><><> [GM] The glowing image looks at you. "I can tell you're trying to talk," he says. "But your signal is scrambled. I think *you're* scrambled.* You feel the strangest sensation, as if your entire body was folded up into a little ball, and someone is smoothing it out. Then with a crackle of electricity, you're suddenly plummeting to the ground. *Oof!* It's almost a ten foot drop, and you land badly, on your knees and elbows. You expect a painful impact, but you simply land with a jarring thud. After the initial shock, nothing seems broken or chipped. "Sorry about that," the glowing image overhead says. He's now looking down on you. You seem to have returned to your normal condition...as the bruises on your legs and elbows will attest. Bruises...but they feel undamaged. "Well," he says, and now you notice that his voice sounds somewhat familiar. "Looks like you were mutated, all right. Welcome to the world of super-powers. If you can change back into that energy form, great. In the meantime, everyone but you seems to have absorbed enough radiation to sterilize them and their next twenty generations of offspring which they'll never have. Pardon me while I see if I can suck up some of those rads, then maybe you can tell me just what the hell triggered a nuclear explosion over a populated area." With a flash of light, the glowing figure disappears. <><><><><> Thomas: *Too bad I can't fly with my real body but at least I got a 'thick skin'. On the good side I don't have to worry about a costume when I'm in my 'sparkling'-form, if I can transform again.". Strange thoughts cross Thomas mind. "I have successfully helped to destroy Paladin, and what is the quintessence? Pulsar, this selfpleased, flamboyant 'dude' must be Pulsar, is hanging around!". Thomas looks around, whether Pulsar heard it, but then grins: "I must be careful, he can shut me down, or fry me!" Then he regains his sense of reality: *Pulsar said everyone except me was radiated (one should expect that, an inner voice says) I have to look for Karen and Wolfgang, now that I can interact with 'normal' people.... funny how my perception of people changed!*. Thomas heads towards the control center, or what is left of it. *I will have to explain a lot, but nevertheless I have to help! Pulsar must look for Paladin, if there is something left you can look at.*. With this thought he enters through a broken/melted window. <><><><><> [GM] Karen sees you reenter the control center, and runs to you and throws her arms around you with a sob. "Thomas!" she exclaims. "You're alive! Oh mein Gott, did you see...the bomb...they...they...Paladin...and that electrical flash, and now that being out there, was that Pulsar?" There are few lights, computers or other electrical devices in the control center that are still functioning, but those that do suddenly dim, and the temperature drops all around you. <><><><><> Thomas: He looks around wondering if his perception has changed, whether he can see or feel computers or light [well, in a different way ] or other electromagnetic effects, but then he sees Karen running towards him. Thomas can't hide a bright smile and opens his arms to embrace her. Thomas takes her in his arms. "I'm so glad that you are OK! It is all so confusing. Someone really triggered an atom-bomb. I was blinded, felt the heat and was thrown around. I don't know what happened, but when I awoke there was Pulsar, explaining to me that the area was radiated and that he wants to 'suck' it away..." . Suddenly the lights dim and it gets colder. "I think he just started. I must apologize to him, I thought he was an selfcentered lunatic, but now...". Thomas looks around, hoping to get new images. "Tell me Karen, how is Wolfgang?" <><><><><> [GM] "Wolfgang...I think he is in bad shape!" Karen moans. With glass melted against her cheek, she doesn't look so great herself. Out in front of the building, a colorful electrical display is building up....the air crackles and hums, and small bolts of lightning are flashing about. Thomas feels distinctly uncomfortable, as is becoming strangely fatigued as he stands and watches. <><><><><> Thomas: *Oh verdammt! He sucks me up! I have changed in a lot of ways. I should have expected it.* Thomas tries to hold back the panic that is rising in him. "Do you also feel this?" but he doesn't await Karens answer "I feel dizzy, I think I go out and get some fresh air. Karen please stay here until Pulsar has finished his decontamination. Would you look for Wolfgang until I feel better. Some fresh air and I will feel like I changed batteries!" . Thomas hopes she will benefit the most from Pulsars efforts. He himself goes outside and tries to leave the fatiguing area as far as he can (but not too far, a few hundred feet).When the effect seems to cease he will slowly return. <><><><><> [GM] You go outside, and watch the continuing energy display. After ten minutes, it fades. Pulsar reappears inside the control center, a somewhat smaller hologram this time. As you head back inside, you hear his voice booming "OK, where's that guy with the energy powers?" "Vas...What energy powers?" someone asks. "The other one...you know, that fat dude." <><><><><> Thomas: *Not quite diplomatic, but what would you expect from an almighty megalomaniac!*. Thomas is angry that Pulsar just gave away his secret that easily, but so he doesn't have to care about hiding and finding excuses. On the other hand, *everything touched by monsters must be destroyed* echoes through his mind. Only a few days ago he was threatened, now he is the threat. Thomas puts two fingers in his mouth and lets out a loud whistle. "I am here!" <><><><><> [GM] Pulsar turns towards you....as does everyone else (except the wounded, and those who are putting them on stretchers and carrying them out to the gathering ambulances.) A flash of light, and suddenly Pulsar is rematerializing next to you. "I sucked up as much radiation as I could," he says. "I can't guarantee I got it all, though. I haven't even checked back in Georgia to see if anyone came down sick after that disaster there." "So," he looks down at you. "Is this the first time your powers have manifested? Weird, I think someone turned into a superhuman after that disaster in Georgia too. Now, I gather that the nuke was a couple miles up when it went off, and you all seem to have been monitoring something up there. So what's the deal? You weren't launching a nuke, were you?" <><><><><> Thomas: "No we weren't!. This was supposed to be a civilian launch. We just..., I mean the ESA gave me the chance to launch two of my repair-robots into orbit to demonstrate their operability in space. They should repair a communications satellite. The means of transportation was Paladin, who dealt with satellite launches already. After that Tokio- incedent we got letters from some loonies who hated super-humans, and threatened us to stop our contact with Paladin. Later there were some anti-Paladin demonstrations, and there even was vandalism in my laboratory. But that didn't prevent us or Paladin from continuing our partnership. But I became suspicious. My robots weren't harmed by the destruction of my lab, but someone definitely examined its interior and tampered with it, but nothing was altered. This made me think someone planed something, and we were to continue the launch. I couldnt figure out what was planed and nobody really understood my paranoia, but Paladin, Frank, my ESA-administrator and I agreed to do the launch one day earlier, though there isn't much secrecy if a whole control center is monitoring it. Well... Paladin arrived, took the two robots that were in their casings and rocketed away. But then we lost contact to the robots, not the casings, it was as if they disappeared. Suddenly one seemed to reappear, but it's signals were scrambled. Before we could do anything the nuclear bomb went off were Paladin should have been. That's it! There are a lot of questions open! Why? How?? Who??? And of course what happened to Paladin? After that monologue Thomas waits for Pulsars comments. But his thoughts circle around his robots. *What if someone really teleported them away and send Paladin a nuke, then they still must be somewhere. Perhaps they are still working, sending data or at least on stand-by. Perhaps we can trace that?* <><><><><> [GM] "Uh huh," Pulsar says, nodding as if he were a traffic cop listening to a motorist explain how they ran into a telephone pole. "That's interesting. So it sounds like this was some kind of scheme to get Paladin, right? I mean, I can't think of another reason to sneak a nuke onto a civilian satellite. And people have been threatening him. I guess they figured a nuke was the only thing that had a chance of killing him. And..." he looks around, though Thomas gets the impression Pulsar's surveillance is far more than just a visual inspection of the area, "it seems to have worked. I don't see any sign of the big cheese." The energy-being looks back at you. "This sure as hell sounds like an inside job. Someone managed to sneak a nuke into your satellite somehow. I'm curious about this, since like I said, I just took care of another nuclear disaster back in the U.S., and there were superhumans involved in that one too." <><><><><> Thomas: "What do you mean with 'superhumans involved'? You told me someone got his powers from that 'accident', but this sounds like more. By the way what powers did that one get? I think I have to learn a lot to control whatever powers I have. But this is not the place to discuss that, shortly the hell will be breaking loose with policemen, reporters, emergency teams and the like. Lets go to a place we are undisturbed. There I will gladly tell you more about the circumstances of this launch and the resulting disaster. In my electric form I can't be hindered to go where I want, except by a Faraday cage." Thomas can't hide a grin. "In my new form I can understand you well, though I have problems communicating, but I will try to manage that. If there is someone who can help me, it's you. So let's move away. If I am able to change, we will meet on the southern side of the airport.". [In the case that Pulsar agrees: ] Thomas turns to Karen [who should be near him, I believe.] "Darling, I will explain this all to you when I am certain what happened to me. In the meantime please take care for Wolfgang, and don't forget the things you bought for us after we got that anonymous letter." He winks at her, gives her a kiss and than turns away and goes outside. There he concentrates on his body and tries to change into his energy form. He will try to feel the sensation he had the first time he changed, he tries to combine it with a reverse of what he felt when Pulsar transformed him back. If he is successful [if.., if.., if.. I'm assuming a lot, am I not ? ] he will hover towards the airport, experimenting with speed, altitude and his senses. [In any other case I will have to think for something new ;) ] <><><><><> [GM] "I think the other dude turned into some kind of muscle-bound showoff, like Paladin," Pulsar says. "OK, I'm gonna do a recon and see if I can find any sign of your satellites or robots or whatever...I kinda doubt it, though, a nuclear blast doesn't leave too much behind." After he disappears, you turn back into a crackling field of energy with a thought. You do feel a definite loss of power since last time, though. <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas lifts off into the air. He looks around, wondering if his perception has changed? He heads towards the airport, surrounding it on the eastern side. He tries to accelerate and ascend. When he is a few hundred meters high (if he reaches that highs) he descends again and tries to make a full stop midair. Back on the ground he tries to sink into the earth. There will definitely be meadows with cattle around. Most of those small meadows are surrounded by low voltage electric fences (to call that a fence is exaggerated, it's just a naked cable in ca. 1m heights). Thomas tries to touch one. First by hovering above ground, then while 'touching' ground. What does he feel, can he suck electricity from it? Alternately, can he meld into metal objects? Thomas then tries to shoot a lightning bolt from his hand, either by just projecting a 'ray' from his palm or by hurling a thunderbolt like ancient Zeus. Another experiment is to make an electrical bow from one hand to the other. Is the lightning affected by nearby objects, especially metal ones? Thomas tries to change back into more human form. If Pulsar hasn't arrived yet, Thomas wants to make some experiments with his human form. How strong is he, must he breathe, what happens if he touches the electric fence? Normally he would feel pain in his wrist and his arm would tremble a bit. Can he shoot electric bolts in normal form? Thomas [or me ] can think of another dozens of tests, but he would like to do that in a laboratory, with someone controlling instruments. Finally he waits for Pulsar to arrive <><><><><> [GM] Once you get used to this form (not that you are, yet), maneuvering is pretty easy. You don't seem able to zap yourself around instantly like Pulsar; your speed is about the same as your running pace, though it takes no effort to maintain it. You have no trouble reaching an altitude of several hundred meters, then descend again, and sink into the ground. You fly over to a cattle pasture in the nearby town, and find one of the electrical "fences" you're looking for. The feeling as you touch the wire is like stepping into a nice warm shower on a cold morning, or having someone gently massage your entire body...current flows into your insubstantial form, and you feel stronger and more vibrant than before. It only lasts for a few seconds however, as the cable sparks and sputters where you touch it, and then shorts out. You hope the farmer finds out before the cattle do. Any cows in the immediate vicinity bellow in alarm and began clopping quickly away when you try to project electricity. A bolt of lightning surges out of your body and blasts a hole in the pasture, incinerating a five-foot circle of grass. You feel a noticeable amount of energy drain out of you when you do this. "Having fun?" You spin around (still in your intangible energy form) and see Pulsar hovering there, as a hologram. "Experimenting. I get it. Yeah, that's what I did when I first turned into this." <><><><><> Thomas: *Verdammt, zu früh!* [damn, too early] Thomas swirls around. "What did you find?" he buzzes. Then he sinks to the ground and tries to change back. If he is successful he will repeat his question, if not he will have to persuade Pulsar to normalize him. "So beloved as we super-humans are at the moment it is better to know what you can do! Someone must have hated or feared Paladin a lot. No supers-hating loony would play around with A-bombs. At least not with that timing and precision! But tell me, what do you see and hear when I am in my electric form ?" <><><><><> [GM] You have no trouble changing back. "I didn't find diddly-squat," says Pulsar. "Like I said, an atomic blast pretty much vaporizes anything at ground zero. Bummer about Paladin, but he always was too cocky. Still, you're right, someone went WAY far out of their way to get him, and a nuke is getting a little carried away, if you ask me. I've seen a lot of anti-superhuman crap lately. I'd sure as hell like to get my non-existent hands on whoever pulled this stunt." "As for what I sense about you, you're like a burst of electromagnetic radiation, frozen in mid-pulse. Not too different from me, I guess. Except obviously, you can change back to normal." <><><><><> Thomas: "Oh..." Thomas is shocked *Poor fellow, now I can understand his crazy behavior better*. He tries to hide this thought. "This isn't very pleasurable, I guess. Can you interact with material things at all, except by frying them?" "Well, I feel guilty for Paladins death. I knew that there was something going on, but didn't stopped the project. Do you know something about supers with teleporter and radio-hearing powers, or do you think those aliens you mentioned in your transmissions could achieve that? By the way, did you have your chat with the owners of those invisible satellites?" <><><><><> [GM] "It's not so bad," says Pulsar. "Actually, it's pretty cool. I mean, who wouldn't want god-like power? Of course, I DO kind of miss eating and drinking and sleeping, and the sex thing is kind of a no-go, but hey, everything has its price, right?" You're not sure how much to believe of his cavalier demeanor. He laughs a little at your "frying" comment. "I can move things around a little, with electromagnetic fields. Mostly I manipulate electronics, though." He frowns at you. "Teleporters? Yeah, as a matter of fact, I think there was a teleporter at the Savannah nuclear power plant. That's what that other guy said, anyways. A teleporter tried to sabotage the reactor. Why, you think a teleporter was involved here?" "I suspect the, um, alleged aliens could do something like this, but I'm not sure why they'd want to. Yeah, I talked with the, err, owners of the satellites. I may check back with them shortly, but I kind of doubt they were involved in this." <><><><><> Thomas: "Well the idea with the teleporter came to me, because we lost total contact with the robot, as if the disappeared and then something came back and then.. BOOM." Thomas turns his hands upwards to form the explosion and tries to produce a crackle of current around his fingers or between his hands. "Why should someone take away the robots and then place a bomb in their casing, when they could have dropped it on Paladin? And, who could manage something like this? Aliens and teleporters! My robots were examined, but nothing was placed into them, we examined them throughout, ran some dozen checks with them. The first time I thought of a teleporter, was when my lab was 'invaded'. Nobody can do this unnoticed in such a high-security area. The destruction and the paintings on the wall were fakes. No mind-dead neonazi would accomplish that! But if one can teleport ....? Perhaps you should read the data of the launch, the telemetric data and the information the robots send, if the recordings weren't destroyed. And you could read the data on the scans I did with my robots before and after their examination by invaders in my lab. Perhaps you can find something useful." When Pulsar mentions the aliens Thomas is very exited. "You really talked to aliens? That's fantastic! Who are they? What do they look like? Why are they here? It can't be coincidence, that we suddenly develop superpowers! What made you think they weren't involved?" "If you check out the data, I must finish some private things. You destroyed my secret identity, which I didn't already had." Thomas grins. "So I have to be cautious. I must find a telephone booth to call Karen my personal assistant, she was hurt in the disaster, but a good friend and co-worker, Wolfgang was hurt badly. I told Karen to take a cellular phone with her and look for Wolfgang. You haven't seen a telephone nearby? Oh yes, you have no need for that anymore! I tried to 'hear' electromagnetic waves, but was not successful yet. Time and practice will tell." <><><><><> [GM] "Umm, I can intercept radio signals, and telephone communications, that kind of thing. I can't just look at a disk drive and read what's on it, though." Pulsar flickers as if in embarrassment. "I can perceive the electromagnetic patterns, sure, so maybe I *could* learn to literally 'read' computer files, but I can't do it directly right now. Just transfer them, copy them, or really f*** them up." "I met someone who CLAIMED to be an alien. I think she either was, or had contact with real aliens. I've inspected the invisible satellites, which are still up there, and they sure as hell aren't like anything that anyone on Earth is making. But this individual...well, let's just say she's not exactly what I envision as an 'alien invader'. Like I said, I *will* go have another talk with her and her friends soon, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have tried to kill Paladin, and certainly wouldn't have dropped a nuke on him to do it." "Your teleport theory does sound interesting, though. Someone beaming a nuke into the satellite, so it blows up in Paladin's hand? And they knew he'd be way high up. Yeah, that's clever. F***ing ruthless too, I could almost admire the bastards. I wonder if a power like that would do anything to the electromagnetic spectrum? I'll start trying to filter out every other source of EM activity, but it'll take a while, 'specially with the after-effects of that little firecracker to contend with." "Sorry about your secret ID, but I kind of thought everyone saw you turn into a bolt of electricity. Guess not." <><><><><> Thomas: "Well, I wasn't too serious about this 'rushing to the next phone-booth just to find that it has no doors' -secret identity thing. Funny, I thought you could communicate with computers. It would be best, that we both return to the control center and I try to show you as much information as possible. I hope some computers are still working and the bomb did not erase all data! In this turmoil [thanks to A. S. Hornby and his Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English] I can perhaps gather more information than I am allowed to. On my way back I want to make some more experiments, could you be so kind to help me a bit?. For example I change into electro-form and try to say 'Hi Pulsar can you understand me?'. This is stupid, I know, but I have a real problem with communication!". Thomas changes and says his sentence. Then he changes back. He than heads back north. Can he produce lightning or sparks, when in normal form? Can he radiate an electric field (in either form)? Can he project himself like a lightning bolt? What happens, when he touches a cattle fence, while in normal form? [Questions over questions! So please tune in next time, when your friendly GM says ....] <><><><><> [GM] After you switch to electrical form, speak, and change back, Pulsar says "I was able to understand you because I could filter out the static. You WERE audible in the normal spectrum, you just sounded like a bad radio. You can probably learn to speak coherently while in your electrical form by practicing. But maybe you should ask a speech therapist who specializes in electrical fields." You ARE able to project a lightning bolt while in your normal body, much to your delight. The electricity crackles up and down your arm and then arcs from your fingertips to the cattle fence, blasting a section into a melted ruin. "Better practice that aim too," Pulsar notes dryly. Trying to project a "field" just makes your entire body spark. And when you try to project *yourself*, you change back to your electrical form, but don't go anywhere. Since the cattle fence is now quite thoroughly shorted out, touching it obviously doesn't do anything. You head back to the launch center, where uniformed officers rush to meet you. "We saw you out there, turning into energy and throwing lightning bolts!" says one of the DKA agents you met before. "Did this explosion turn you into a superhuman, or have you been one all along?" He seems angry and a little suspicious. Pulsar, apparently not understanding the agent's German, says "Hey, guten tag, dude. What's the problem?" He changes his composition to a glowing red cloud radiating heat. <><><><><> Thomas: "Immer mit der Ruhe!" says Thomas, but it isn't quite clear to whom it was meant. "I speak English, so our friend Pulsar can follow our discussion." Thomas points at Pulsar. "He absorbed most of the radiation around here, else you would look like a lobster in hot water and your hair would start to fall out. To answer your question: I turned into a .." Thomas stops for a short time, realizing that he always thought and spoke about super-humans, super-powers, but talking to a 'normal' makes it hard to say 'Hi, I am a super-human!', so he continues " ..a meta-human as a side effect of that nuclear explosion. I had to leave and experiment, before I could hurt someone accidentally, I caused enough chaos just buzzing around!" Thomas looks sadly into the face of the BKA agent and says "I am afraid I was right with my paranoia, too bad nobody took it serious, but on the other hand, I think it was hard to stop this disaster. What do you think about this, what are you and all the governmental organizations going to do? Pulsar and I, we have some ideas what we can do to find some trails, that hopefully lead us to some answers, if you don't mind we would try to gather as much information as we can. I will answer all the questions you have later. I am certainly willing to help you in any way I can." Thomas smiles and awaits some cool remarks from Pulsar. <><><><><> [GM] "You check out the computers," Pulsar says. "I'll be scanning the E-M spectrum for anything I can pick up in this post-nuke mess." With that, he simply disappears, at least to the naked eye. The German federal agent blinks. "Fantastic, one super-powerful American brings this destruction here, and another one decides he's going to investigate for us. It's not enough that Pulsar has decided to make himself a thorn in the side of the U.S. State Department, now he plagues us as well!" He frowns at you. "What did you and Pulsar intend to do, as far as 'gathering information' and 'finding trails'?" <><><><><> Thomas: "Ruling the world!" Thomas says pathetically, spreading his arms as if to entangle the whole world. "Well, without joking, I don't think Pulsar is disturbing you. Everything he can 'see' and find is more than you could accomplish, except you come up with your own paranormal radio-sniffer. By the way, you wouldn't have been able to suck up the radiation like he did. Nobody asked him for help. It was his free will and he is willing to find those responsible for this catastrophe. If you criticize that, youre a fool! This is no situation for arguing about competence, damaged ego and foreign affairs. I don't have the time to argue anymore, time is expensive. So you can help me and get unnecessary trouble off my back, that I can find information in the telemetric data, recordings about the launch and my own recordings, if there is anything left, or ...". Thomas can hardly stop himself changing into his electro-form, but then he calms down and in a nicer tone he continues: "I don't want to threaten you, or close doors behind me. I am loyal and know that I have some duties for my country. I don't share Pulsars view about law and superhuman, but we are in a hurry and have to go for unconventional means. So, if you don't mind I'd like to start. You can accompany me if you like, I have nothing to hide. I have a lot of questions, regarding my future as a paranormal...". Thomas starts looking for terminals that seem to work, not awaiting the answer of the BKA-agent. "I told you about my doubts about those make-believe-neo-nazis that tried to threaten me and you certainly know about that pseudo destruction of my lab..." than Thomas tells the agent the hole story about the tampered robots, his suspicion, his phone call with Paladin, the launching day and what happened until the bomb went off. <><><><><> [GM] "Someone teleporting a nuke into the launch envelope?" the BKA agent says, disbelievingly. "That doesn't make sense...neo-nazis who hate metahumans, acquiring a nuclear device and having another metahuman use it to kill Paladin?" There doesn't seem to be much data to get at this point. It will take days of work by the techs to retrieve anything usable from the EMP-disrupted computers. The BKA agent says "We will check all this out. We'll want to go over your lab again, much more thoroughly than before." He looks out over the scorched landscape outside, with emergency vehicles still putting out fires and loading injured people onto ambulances. The damage is nothing like what it would have been had the atomic blast gone off closer to the ground...but it was still fairly devestating. "I wonder how these people would try to kill Pulsar?" the agent wonders aloud. <><><><><> Thomas: "I don't think that this was the deed of neo-nazis, this nazi thing was just a trick to catch our attention." "Agent XYZ [whats his name?] I don't speculate about that. The last time I talked to a superhuman about his invulnerability someone else came to the same conclusion." Thomas shows an unhappy smile and points outside. "If there is nothing I can do here, we can examine my lab." <><><><><> [GM] Agent Loebbel [is that an authentic German name? ] accompanies you to your lab, and soon has half a dozen more men going over everything in excrutiating detail. After several hours, however, they come up with nothing that wasn't found the first time, after the vandalism. "No clues," Loebbel says. "But we'll turn up something. Nobody can acquire a nuclear device and plant it on an international satellite launch without leaving some kind of trail!" **"Oh, they did!"** The familiar voice comes crackling out of thin air, until the lab lights up with the glow of Pulsar's sudden manifestation, in a human-sized holographic projection this time. "There was a trail all right...some kind of disturbance in the ionic field...I don't think I can describe it to you, since you'd probably have to be a physicist to understand it in the first place, and since *I'm* not a physicist, I don't know how to put it in scientific terms." "In terms of my perceptions though...I can tell where lightning has struck, though only within the last few minutes. Lightning burns a path through the air, and leaves a 'trail' of ions or electrons or whatever- hell, I don't know for sure what they are, just that I can sense them." "So, someone did something similar. Except it's a lot more exotic than lightning, because I've never seen it before, and because it STILL left a little trail, even after the atomic blast. There wasn't anything at ground zero, of course. But I found a path from a point on the ground, about five miles away, pointing towards where the bomb went off. And another one, pointing towards a power line. Unfortunately, I couldn't track anything through the power line." "But guess what? I'm picking up similar residual energy effects here in your lab. Whoever used whatever kind of funky power they used at the bomb site, also used it in here." <><><><><> [Amadan, Loebbel or Löbbel is OK, it sounds German (at least it could pass in a Hollywood W.W.II Wehrmacht drama ). Though two "B" after an umlaut is not so common. We tend to separate syllables in pronunciation, like in Lub-ke (a former German President) or use more "sounding" consonants like in Löf-fel (spoon), Was-ser (water), in most cases the vowel in front of a duplicated consonant is "short" (Ratte, Kamm, Schramm but long in Rate, kam) so Löbbel nearly sounds like "Lbl". On the other hand there is Goebbels (you know him; by the way: the German slang verb "göbeln" means to puke ) and Löbe (German politician, SPD). But don't show this to an germanistic expert, it's just a subjective view on my mother-tongue .] Thomas: "I knew it!", Thomas shouts excited. "They teleported into the Lab! I feel like Cassandra, I knew the truth and told it everybody, but nobody believed me. Pulsar, can you correlate the two trails? How fast are they fading? Or can you try to describe the effects, I understand 'a bit' of electromagnetic theory. Perhaps we can build something to track them, if it is possible at all?" [I hope my theory about German names weren't too boring for you. <><><><><> [GM] "I don't know much more about electromagnetic theory than what I learned in high school," says Pulsar. "Put it in terms that I can perceive, and I'm fine, but formulas and wave-particle theories don't mean squat to me." "I can't say how long it takes the trails to fade. The one by the blast site is really faint, but that's partly because of the blast. The one here in your lab is also really faint. If it was possible to track them, though, I could do it, and I'd already be in the sucker's face, doing my Orville Redenbacher impression." <><><><><> Thomas: "Your Orville-what?" "Put your impressions in your words, I am quite able to understand abstract thoughts and can put mine in simple words. So tell me what you see." "Perhaps you could talk to your al.. " Thomas swallows his last words, smile and the says: "I want to try something. Agent Löbbel, would you please go a step away from me". then Thomas changes into his electo- form. "Pulsar, I thought it would be better if I talk to you in this form. Can you talk to your alien friends about this? Just answer yes or no." After Pulsars answer he changes back, smiles and tells Löbbel "It didnt work. <><><><><> [GM] Löbbel doesn't understand Pulsar's Americanism either. The glowing metahuman says "Orville Redenbacher...you never heard of him? He makes microwave popcorn. So like, I'm the microwave, and our psycho terrorist is the popc- oh, never mind." He sounds annoyed as his wisecrack falls flat. "The best way I can describe it is a lingering trail in the magnetic field. I can perceive the electromagnetic field at all times, across the entire spectrum. Something stirred things up in the upper wavelengths...I guess that's where UV and cosmic radiation and so on is found, right? Kind of like when a plane flies through the upper atmosphere, leaving a vapor trail? So there's these stirred up wavelengths, excited electrons, whatever. It's very faint; frankly, I doubt any technology on Earth could detect it. I can, because I can detect the most minute changes in the EMR field...hell, I can detect the electrical impulses in your brain. I'm starting to learn what someone's mental state is like by what parts of their brain are most active, and how much synaptic activity there is. So I guess you could say I'm like a high-energy bloodhound. By the way, you have a very strong electromagnetic field permeating your body. Undoubtedly due to your powers; it would kill a normal person. Do you feel anything different in your flesh and blood form?" When you change to your energy form, Pulsar replies "Yeah, I'll check with 'em, but I still don't think they're involved." Löbbel looks a little annoyed at being left out, but he asks, "Will you cooperate with the German government to find out who set off an atomic bomb in our country, Pulsar?" "Sure, I'll help," Pulsar replies. "But I'm not gonna stick around here much longer. I have other things to check out, other things to do." <><><><><> Thomas: "Well, then there is nothing we can do... except cleaning up the mess. By the way you tried to detect Paladin. Did you look for his brain- waves?" "I thank you for your help, unlike some other people... " Thomas doesn't look directly at agent Löbbel, but nearly " ...I am glad, that you arrived in the hour of need. I would be very grateful if I could help you too. Could you inform me if you find that trail again, or if you hear something new about your 'friends' we talked about?" <><><><><> [GM] "I can detect someone's brain, but tracking an individual by their brain waves....I think that's a little beyond me. Hmm, maybe not. Interesting idea, I'll have to try it." "If I learn anything new, I'll let you know. I'll check back with you soon to see if you've come up with anything, too. Auf wiedersehen, dude." With a flash of light, Pulsar disappears. After an awkward pause, Löbbel looks at you dourly. "You think I should have been more cooperative with Pulsar. Don't mistake me, I AM grateful for whatever he did to clean up the radiation from the blast. But remember, he is a being of extraordinary power and absolutely no compunctions about using it however he sees fit. Did you read much mythology as a child, Herr Hardenburg? Perhaps you remember the stories of Zeus, the Greek god of thunder. Zeus could be very benevolent and helpful to mankind when he was in a good mood. He could also mete out terrible destruction to whatever poor mortals were in his path when he was in a bad mood. And as Zeus was the king of the gods, there was absolutely nobody to prevent him from acting whichever way he pleased." <><><><><> Thomas: "I know what you mean, though I don't agree to your view of Zeus and Pulsar either. But if Pulsar were such an unpredictable force, why do you provoke him by your rude behaviour? You summoned down the lightning you fear! Well, at least there is a simularity between Pulsar and Zeus." Thomas smiles, thinking of his own powers. "We can talk later, I have a bunch of questions, but I have some people I love, that were injured, one seriously. I would like to look after them. Can you help me finding the hospital they were brought to?" <><><><><> [GM] The federal agent takes you to the hospital where all the wounded are being brought. You notice a large number of burn injuries, and many people cut by flying glass. There are some who were blinded because they were watching Paladin ascend when the bomb went off, and suffered retinal damage as a result. Most of the casualties aren't too extreme, at least for the aftermath of an atomic blast, but they're bad enough. And you spot a few bodybags, filled. It takes quite a while to muddle through the chaos and find Karen and Wolfgang. Wolfgang suffered severe burns, and is still in serious condition. Karen's injuries are less serious, so she's being sent to a nearby, less flooded hospital, where she'll stay the night at least. She's extremely glad to see you. "Thomas, what happened? Did you find out anything? Are you all right?" <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas is sad, tha so many people are hurt, but on the other hand he is glad, that Karen isn't hurt badly. When he sees Karen he can't hide a broad grin. He embraces her, "Hello angel, I am so happy, that you are well!" He than goes a step back, speads his arm and says "I am feeling fine, I can say I am sparcling with energy." He resists the temptation to change his form. "I had some smaltalk with Pulsar, he decontaminated the whole area, and he even found some traces of the maniacs, which caused the explosion, but not enough to find them. To my grief, he is certain, that Paladin is dead! Now it is clear, that no neo-nazi destroyed my laboratory, but some teleporters or aliens. They also beamed the bomb to Paladin. I made a joke about my condition, but to be serious, I can change into a form of living electrons. I can fly, shoot lightning bolts and shortcircuit a lot of things. I can even 'eat' electricity. I am sorry that I frightened you after the explosion, but I wasn't aware of my state. I have to lean a lot. There are a few experiments that I have in mind. " He smiles and looks at Karen, "Tell me. what do you think about all this?" <><><><><> [GM] Karen looks at you wide-eyed. "I'm frightened for you, Thomas! These lunatics used an atomic bomb to kill Paladin. If you're now a superhuman as well...they will come after you!" She does a double-take. "Aliens?" <><><><><> Thomas: >> "Aliens?" "Yes there are definitely aliens. Pulsar confirmed that. You heard him talking about this spaceship and those satellites, it's true. Nobody on earth could have done this bomb trick, except he has super-powers or advanced technology." Thomas smiles, "If I were an alien invader, I would try to get rid of such Supermen too." [I don't know whether agent Löbbel is still there. If he isn't, Thomas tells Karen more about Pulsar and the aliens.] >> "If you're now a superhuman as well...they will come after you!" "I am worried too. I have to experiment with my powers, they are quite impressive, but I lack the experience to control them. I must find my limitations, there are also a lot of things which deny physics like we know it, that must be examined. Though my laboratory isn't quite suited for that, I can examine most things. I don't know how much I can do here, but I'd like to go back to Hamburg, we are more "incognito" there." [Is there a TV-set in the room? Thomas would like to see the news, especially about him. ] <><><><><> [GM] Agent Löbbel waits outside while you talk to Karen. She seems even more distressed at the talk of alien invaders, but nods at returning to Hamburg. "Yes, I want to leave this place as soon as I can get released from the hospital." The news is filled with coverage of the atomic blast, of course, but while Paladin's presumed death and Pulsar's appearance are both featured prominently, so far there is no mention of a third superhuman. <><><><><> Thomas: "The doctors told me they want to watch you at least for the night. So if you are a good girl and rest, they will let you go real soon. I come tomorow morning and hopefully can take you to the hotel, so that we can leave for Hamburg. I will see if we can get a transfer for Wolfgang, if his condition permits it. It's sad, but he is hurt badly. I will look for him.If you don't mind, I arrange our departure and look for Wolfgang." He gives her a kiss on the unhurt cheek, "Tschüss, I will see you tomorow. Do what the doctors say and have a good night!". When he meets agent Löbbel, he tells him about his plans to leave Munich. He asks him to bring him back to Wolfgang, to see how his condition is. Then he asks him if he could drive him back to Oberpfaffenhofen, else he would take a taxi. How is his car? (I think a BMW would be good) If it's too damaged, he will have to rent one. This will be a high bill for the insurance company he thinks (though I doubt, that atomic blast is in the contracts ). Then he drives to the hotels, to gather Karens, Wolfgangs and his belongings. How does Thomas feel? It must be evening, is he tired? Is he hungry? <><><><><> [GM] Wolfgang's condition isn't great, but the doctors say he should recover, eventually. It will take a while for the burns to heal, and his eyes are bandaged; there may be serious retinal damage, but they won't know for a few days. Löbbel tells you "We will be happy to cooperate with you as much as possible, Mr. Hardenberg. We need your help, frankly. Superhumans pose a serious threat to peace and stability, and it seems that only the few of you who are benevolent can protect the rest of the population. You'll find the government is quite eager to enlist the aid of friendly superhumans such as yourself, and we can put more resources at your disposal than you could ever hope for on your own." <><><><><> Thomas: "Agent Löbbel, I can assure you, that I will help my country as much as I can. I have to arrange some things, I am a business man you know, so I have to do a lot of telephoning, writing reports, fighting with insurance companies. I lost quite a fortune this day [I can't remember how long 'Launch Aborted' lasts, but we are still on the same day. Intriguing!]. I have to make decisions, but when I have arranged this, I am ready for your superhuman program. I have to go back to Hamburg, but you or the agents there can always contact me." He writes his private number onto a business card and gives it to Löbbel. Than he likes to proceed the preparations for leaving Munich. <><><><><> [GM] You're ready to leave for Hamburg the next day. Karen is able to come with you, though she needs to continue seeing her own doctor for a little while. Wolfgang won't be able to leave the hospital for a while yet. Needless to say, this has been more than a small setback for you. You wouldn't even think of asking the ESA when or if another launch for your robots might be scheduled. Karen asks, "What do we do next?" <><><><><> Thomas: "Well, my dear, the show must go on! We get out things together and head for Hamburg. I am horrified by the thought of all the paperwork that has to be done. I want to get some money back, that was literally blown into the air. But the usual business must be continued too. And then I have to find out what I am and what my powers are. We drive to the hotel and get our luggage. Look what we can gather in Oberpfaffenhofen and drive to Hamburg. We will be there in the early evening. [assuming that there isn't too much traffic on the Autobahn and considering the speed of a good BMW it should take 6-7 hours from Munich to Hamburg] Let's see what awaits us there." Thomas and Karen proceed with this.