THOMAS HARDENBERG Thomas Hardenberg was born in Hamburg. He studied Electronics and build up his own Company. He constructed small robots and inovative remote-controls, first an university project, now a working tool that earned him some wealth (but he is no Gadgeteer). Currently working with NASA supervising tests with his toy to proof that it can be usefull for working in space (that NASA thing came into my mind to make workind with DoD and beeing in America no big problem, not because there are spaceships flying around.I don´t think it is of any more use than beeing a rockstar, though Paula Abdul had her share , but he may also work with some totaly different company/institute, GM rules). But if you like to start him in Germany, fine, so he is working with ESA or DASA (European Space Agency/ Deutsche Aero Space). He is mid-30, blond, with blue/grey eyes,190 cm (6´3") tall, broadshouldered and a bit too fat (his now gained comfortable lifestyle shows so he is a bit out of shape). He travels a lot (mostly around Europe) speaks some languages(not too fluent, exept English) is interested(besides science/computers/robotics) in politics, history and literature . He thinks of himself as a "World-Citicen" and is usualy well behaved. He likes to make bonmots, and rathr acts like problems are always minor and more part of a funy game than showing his true concerns ("...things arent funny but why should I bother others..") he sometimes tends to be sarcastic but never makes bad jokes of other peoples problems (only and frequent about himself, kind of disarming oponents), nearly never curses and swears. He is a charming talker, likes to tell stories, bonmots, anekdotes and has usualy something to say about everything. but he always seems to be calm (emotionaly) and certain. In his job he is more quiet and sometimes even lakonic, more concerned about facts and clear statements than brilliant (literal) expressions. [that looks like a split personality ] Though he likes his living standard, money isn´t all and he appreciates intelligent partners and friends, an elegant ambiente, good dinners and nice, inteligent girls ( well, he isn´t married and still searching ). <><><><><> [GM] Today you receieve a bit of a surprise when you arrive at the European Space Agency office building in Munich. [You can change this if you like; does the ESA have a Munich office?] You've been contracting with them to launch a couple of your new satellite repair robots, on a trial basis. You were hoping to test your robot on a communications satellite that has become inoperative, and your first launch was slated for next month. When you enter the office of the administrator in charge of the project, however, you're surprised to be confronted by a tall, exceedingly handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a black leather jacket, loose-fitting slacks, and stylish leather boots. He grins, showing perfect white teeth, as the administrator rises and says in English "Here's Thomas now. Thomas Hardenberg, this is Paladin. I'm sure you've heard of him, since he's been in the news so much lately." The American super-celebrity holds out his hand and says "Nice to meet you. So you make the little robot thing I'm supposed to carry up into orbit, right?" <><><><><> Thomas: [David, München (Munich) is fine because the control-center for ESA spaceoperacions is in Oberpfaffenhofen, which is about 20 km (12 miles) west of München (it´s the european Houston ) When Thomas arrived at Oberpfaffenhofen, he was ordered to the administrators office.*Another discussion about expenses, technical problems or interest conlicts* he thought, but when he entered he was stunned. That superhero, Thomas recognized him at the first glance (having seen his fight in Israel, and watched his funny interview), and he was supposed to bring his baby into orbit, *...verrückt!*. Regaining his confidence Thomas takes the offerd hand (trying to avoid thoughts about this hands shredding a tank) and says:with a bright smile "Yes I am and It´s a pleasure for me to meet the famous Paladin, I feel honoured that my ´little robot thing´ will be send into orbit by a Superhero. I think this will shorten launching time a lot." Inside he is not so calm. Until this morning Supers were in the television, far away, but now one (and one of the most outstanding) is shaking his hand! On the other hand [pun intended] this is a big chance, that his robot will be placed well on the satelite and the operation will succeed. "So, Paladin, we have a lot to discuss and since I haven´t had breakfast yet, why not talk over a nice and typical bavarian brunch. supposed you still have the need or lust for food.". This will give Thomas time to sort his thoughts and overview the possibilities of this new partnership. *Why do they pay for this super-mercenary, when they wouldn´t give me enough money for my project?* <><><><><> [GM] Paladin smiles broadly and says "Well, I haven't tried starving myself to death yet, and I like food well enough that I'm not about to try. Lunch sounds good." The administrator, Frank, accompanies you to a place of your choosing, and Paladin gets many looks from people who recognize him, and especially from women; you feel slightly jealous at how many female heads turn and smile as he goes by. He winks and waves to many of them; this American superhuman certainly shows no hint of shyness. "Never been to Deutschland before" he says, pronouncing 'Deutschland' with a passable intonation. "I've been hanging around in France and England a lot, and Japan, but this is my first trip to Germany." "We've been talking by phone for a couple of weeks," Frank tells you, "and this morning he called me on his cellular phone and told me he happened to be in the area, and would be willing to drop in and chat. That's what he did, literally! Created quite a stir when he descended out of the sky to the street in front of the Oberpfaffenhofen." Paladin shrugs and says "Hey, I was in Paris last night, I'm supposed to be in Tokyo tomorrow morning for a TV show there, I was passing overhead, figured I might as well stop by and talk to you guys." Frank smiles and shakes his head at the notion of a man just "passing by overhead", flying over Europe and Asia under his own power. But Paladin apparently does this routinely. He turns to you and says "As you know, Paladin has started launching satellites for NASA, charging them a fraction of what satellite launches normally cost. He expressed willingness to make such a deal with us as well, but the American government wasn't happy about it. We think we've finally worked things out on the diplomatic front." Paladin nods. "They can't really stop me from doing what I want, of course, and I hate rules and regulations and friggin' lawyers and politicians. But, I don't want to ruffle the White House and have them getting all paranoid that I'm gonna sell out to other countries. I mean, I *am* an American, and my first loyalty is to my country, if not my elected leaders." He wrinkles his nose. "So as I understand it, you guys are going to let some American scientists inspect anything I put up for you, to make sure I'm not launching anything with military or espionage capabilities." This doesn't make you happy; your inventions are proprietary technology, and you don't at all like the idea of American aerospace engineers getting a look at your robots and possibly copying them! <><><><><> Thomas: *What a nice way to tell me that my robs will be examined*, Thomas thinks in a rush of anger, but manages to stay calm (though some more surprises in this rapid succession would ruin his mental balance) and reminds himself, that the robot alone isn´t all, control mechanism, programs and adaptability make it hard to copy, and those patents he got and those pending will be a good defense. He himself is the ´ghost in the machine´ the force that binds all those parts together, and with a wolfish grin he says:"I have no secrets, at least none that can be discovered, those robots have nothing to do with military or espionage intentions, .. well as much as a dolphin has, but you could always bind a bomb under a donkey and shoot with carrots at your enemy!". Inside he thinks about some minor changes in design to hide obvious functions, this is not going to be easy to clone! After taking a big nip from his Mass [well I´m not certain how it is spelled, but it is the bavarian expression for liter (quarter gallon) of beer], he shows his charming smile and continues "You will eleminate the most dangerous part of the operation, reaching orbit and meeting the satellite. Though Arianne launches are quite standard, the possibility for failure is still high. You just put the robot onto the satellite and it will show its talent, like bringing a little animal to it´s mother. I hope you don´t suffer from arachno-phobia, because that´s what those ´little robot things´look like." Thomas has still problems to get accomodated next to this titan, but Paladins natural and open character and sunnyboy manner make it possible, so Thomas tries to continue more relaxed. He talks about his robots, their use, operating modes and about the success they made underwater and in polluted environment. Then he will explain their use on/inside the satellites and the plans for the current mission. Depending on Paladins reaction he will (like a proud father) go into detail and tell some funny stories he had with his drones. As the meal ends, he will ask Paladin (and partly to Frank) :"You are sheduled for a show in Japan. So, when will we meet for launch, and how and when will the drone be examined for ´classification´?" <><><><><> [GM] Paladin listens politely as you describe your robots, but he doesn't seem that interested, although he does ask a question or two that indicates he's not completely ignorant about space technology. When you ask when the inspection will take place, Paladin shrugs. "Hey, scheduling's up to you. You said it would be, what, in two weeks or something like that?" The last question is directed towards Frank, who nods. "Tentatively, ten days from now," the administrator answers. Finishing your meal, the three of you walk back outside. Frank offers to take Paladin on a tour around the Oberpfaffenhofen, but the American superhuman shakes his head. "Thanks, but I want to get to Tokyo pretty soon." Winking at you, he says "I've got a couple of fans waiting for me, and it's not nice to keep pretty girls waiting. Maybe some other time, I would like to see how you Europeans do things. I'm sure I'll get a chance to walk around and get the tour before I put your robot spiders in orbit." With that, he shakes your hand again, then lifts off, rising into the air, to the amazement and delight of everyone on the street. He grins and waves to everyone as he ascends, then, reaching a height of about a hundred feet, he accelerates rapidly, shooting into the sky at the speed of a rocket, then, when he becomes nothing but a speck in the distance, zooms out of sight in the time it takes you to blink. A moment later, the far-away rumble of a sonic boom echoes down over Munich. "Well," says Frank. "Not everyday you get to see that, hmm? He seems so casual, I think he takes his powers for granted now. He doesn't even seem to realize how impressive he is to us mere mortals." Watching you, he asks "You seem a little upset, what's wrong? I'd think you'd be pleased that your robots are going up several months ahead of schedule!" <><><><><> Thomas: "Well, at first I was a bit shocked that they have to be examined, but then I concidered the time advantage, which is truely overwhelming.". When he said ´overwhelming´ he was still looking in the direction Paladin rocketed away. Then, like waking up he turns to Frank "Ten days you say? I have to prepare a lot. A journey to the USA will certainly be a nice thing, perhaps I meet some more Superheroes, it still seems so unreal.... But I have to work hard ,some ideas came to my mind about how to protect my invention. At least we don´t give it to the Japanese." Thomas says grinning. He pays the bill and drives Frank back to his office. On the road he makes some calls. First he calls Karen his personal assistant, secretary and sisterly friend. He tells her the news and asks her to meet him in two days in Munich (Thomas company is seated in Hamburg), in the meantime she should prepare all business things for a three week pause and not forget her passport. The second call goes to Wolfgang, a computer and communications genius and friend from the university who worked for Thomas on some difficult problems. He explains to him the situation and asks for his help in this crash situation, offering a generous payment plus expenses. At Franks office he asks him for a detailed time shedule and then heads towards the laboratory he is using here for some weeks. There he dives deep into paper, technical readouts and computers in order to work out his ideas. <><><><><> [GM] You hear about the bombing incident in Tokyo the next morning. Someone tried to kill Paladin in Japan, and succeeded only in killing thirteen innocent people. "We can only hope this won't affect our launch," Frank tells you. "Paladin is said to be somewhat...temperamental. He might decide he's going to become obsessed with avenging himself on the ones who did this. This is a problem when major operations hinge on one man. But for now, assume everything will go as planned. Paladin may be a bit of a grandstander, and have a temper, but he also seems to be a good businessman. I suspect he'll stick to our agreement; we are paying him a substantial sum, after all." Karen arrives in Munich two days later, while you and Wolfgang are working on your modifications. Engrossed in your work, you haven't checked your mail. Karen brings it to you, and at your request, checks through it and sorts out personal from business, urgent from non-urgent. She interrupts your lab work holding one piece that came in an envelope with no return address. She looks quite upset. On a plain piece of typewriter paper is the message "Everything touched by monsters will be destroyed. Continue your association with Paladin at your own risk." <><><><><> Thomas: When he heard about that Tokyo incident, Thomas was shocked and puzzled. How could some maniacs try to kill a jugernaut like Paladin with such an ´inferior´ bomb. Paladin could withstand Deatstorms metal shards, which ruined steel and concrete, and he is even able to survive in space. So this bomb was supposed to kill only innocent people and ruin Paladins reputation. Only sick minds can come to such solutions. Thomas doesn´t think this will delay their project he tells Frank "... , even if Paladin is seeking revenge, launching satellites and such things into orbit gives a lot of good reputation and makes good friends (us ) too....". Though he tries, Thomas isn´t that concentrated and confident as he used to be. Work is going slow, but Wolfgang and Thomas finaly manage to finish a concept, and if everything is going it´s normal way the drone (and one spare) will be ready in 6 days. Karens arival lightens Thomas mood a bit and they are within their time shedule. [David, I can make character sheets of Karen and Wolgang and a little history if you like, but think of Thomas and Karens relationship as a kind of Bond/Moneypenny relationship] [David, another question: in what language was the message written, it´s not important for Thomas reaction, but for deeper insight.] Reading this anonymus letter, Thomas feel intense anger rising, his judgement about this lunatics wasn´t hard enough. They dare to harm even non-metas because they get in touch with them! The darkest parts of german history come to his mind, *NEVER AGAIN!* he thinks, ramming his fist onto the table. He shows the letter to Wolfgang, waits until he is read it and says: "You are free to quit this job, I will pay your contract and you can make a vacations for a while until all is over [David, it´s up to you if he goes, but most likely he will stay], but I will continue, no brainamputated [I was tempted to call them braindead ] racist will stop me with foul threatening. Karen, you are also free to go, but I know you long enough to tell that you won´t, so check out of our hotel and move to another [if Wolfgang stays, all advice go to him too] buy a cellular phone for each of us, go to a public library and check the newspapers if there is something about Paladin, Frank and me, find out if there was something on television. Only few people know about my relationship with Paladin, I hope the enemy is not in this building!" Then he goes to Frank and shows him the message, studying his face as he reads the junk. Thomas will ask him for Paladins number and call him emediatly (but from another telephone), seeking a personal talk if possible, ensuring Paladin, that he has full confidence in him and wants to continue. But there will be no way not to tell the police or other state agencies, because the ESA is paid by several european states, of which France and Germany are the biggest. Thomas will then try to get in contact with the BKA (Bundes Kriminl Amt, compare it to the FBI), BND (Bundes Nachrichten Dienst, a kind of german CIA) or Interpol, whoever feels responsible. [BKA would be responsible for Thomas savety, but the other two may be resposible for contacting Tokio; btw: German Defense Department has the MAD, Militärischer Abschirm Dienst, but it is only resposible for defending our army (Bundeswehr) from spies and acts not direct in country or civil defense; we also have Verfassungsschutz, who watches violations of our constitution (Grundgesetz)]. <><><><><> [GM] [The note was in German.] Wolfgang looks more annoyed than frightened. "The hell with this creep, whoever he is! Probably one of those eco-freaks- sorry, Thomas- who thinks space technology is bad for the environment! Whenever we start to make some progress, there's always some idiots who fear anything different and want to prevent any changes in their little world. We'll just to have to make sure the ESA increases their security." Karen is a little more upset, and worried more about you than anything else. But she doesn't even bother responding to your suggestion that she leave. "Bastards!" she says, using unusually strong language. "You would think people would learn from the past! Why can't they?" When you show the letter to Frank, he looks upset, but not very surprised. "There has been a bit of this lately," he says. "It wasn't made public yet, that Paladin is going to launch satellites for us, but the word has gotten around, and several offices have received threats like that. The BKA and BND have already been notified, of course, and after what happened in Tokyo, we may have reason to fear these are not just loudmouthed cranks." He sighs and adds "Someone from the Verfassungsschutz told me that those ridiculous neo-Nazi groups have added superhumans to their list of people they hate. Printing pamphlets saying they are monsters, genetic deformities, and they will pollute the human race if they're allowed to breed. I know, it's disgusting, and it sounds all too familiar. I must admit, I wouldn't be too upset if some of those vermin were to run into Pulsar or Avenger or Paladin while chanting that garbage." <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas: Thomas listens to Frank, motionless, just smiling a bit when Frank mentions Paladin getting those creeps inflagranti. Thomas looks deep into Frank´s eyes, then wanders around the office: "Surprise, surprise! This is a funny relationship we have Frank, and I thought we were partners! First Paladin reveals that he is going to launch my robot, than I am supposed to show foreign scientists my developments and finaly you tell me that several offices have received such pamphlets in the past! What next? Pulsar is going to repair the satellite, instead of my robots?". He takes a deep breath and adds: "Well, I´m unkind, it´s not your fault, that some idiots try to rule the world, when they can´t even look over their own shoetips! They were already ridiculous when they freightened foreigners, jews, coulored people, which were no match to their brutality, but now they take on powers they can´t stand a second! Have they gone totaly mad, which supposes there was at least some part in their brain (if there is one) that functioned, or is this planed?". Thomas would still like to talk to Paladin and the officials, in that order. <><><><><> [GM] Frank sighs. "I didn't make the initial arrangements for Paladin to launch your robots, though I did support the idea- after all, it will get us operational ahead of schedule and under budget. You don't *have* to let your robots be inspected by the Americans, but then you'll have to convince Paladin to put them up anyways. I don't think there's really any law that the U.S. government can hold over his head; he's only doing this at their request to maintain good relations. It's not as if they could do much to him if he decided to ignore them" Frank chuckles. "But purely as a matter of convenience, I think he wishes to avoid antagonizing his own government, and I doubt the amount we're paying him is enough to make him willing to do so." "Paladin isn't scheduled to come back here until two days before the launch. I'll see if he'll come talk to you beforehand, but don't count on it; he's kind of a playboy, he goes wherever he likes whenever he likes, and he can be damned hard to get hold of. He's always made his appointments, so far, but getting him to commit to an appointment on short notice is difficult." "I can give you the numbers of the government agents working on the anti-superhuman threats. Which agency do you wish to speak to?" <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas manages to calm down and says to Frank in his normal friendly tone: "I want Paladin to launch the robot too, and I am prepared to have my robots examined. But if Paladin thinks he can do it without examination, well.., I can get along with it ." Than he gets more official: "I would like to speak to the BKA. I´m not so worried about my robot or the project, that can all be replaced, but the people around me which I don´t wand to endanger. Karen and Wolfgang will stay so they are in danger if those idiots do more than threatening, but I hope the BKA can tell me more. " <><><><><> [GM] Frank gives you the number of the local BKD bureau, and after being passed through various secretaries and other bureacrats, you speak to an officer in charge of investigating threats by neo-Nazi groups. "Yes, we are aware of some threats made against the ESA launch that Paladin is helping with," he says. "We are adding extra security to the entire site, and we're keeping a very close eye on local extremist groups. We don't think they're really likely to take action against Paladin though; after all, these hate groups are generally small and disorganized. It's hardly feasible that the same people who set off a bomb in Japan are also active in Germany, although we are looking into the possibility. Right now, though, the Japanese authorities think that most likely it was the work of Japanese organized crime. Apparently Paladin has caused them some trouble." <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas expected that a call to the BKA wouldn´t resolve anything, still it was his duty to do so, but it leaves him unsatisfied. *Oh, they are all so obesssed by things, but what about inocent people beeing hurt or even killed?* he thinks on his way back to his laboratory. He tells Karen and Wolfgang what he achieved [nothing] and goes back to work. He even works harder, in order to forget his doubts about people .......Karen ...., getting hurt. Later that day he talks to Frank about the examination and time shedule of the whole operation. [Will paladin bring the robot to the US scientists and then launch it into orbit, or are this two separate things? In case of he later, Thomas will certainly accompany his baby to the USA. So Karen and/or Frank have to make reservations for a flight and communicate with the NASA technicians. In case of the first possibility Thomas will definitly talk to Paladin about the whole thing, how to take care during the examination, what technicians can do and what not etc.] <><><><><> [GM] In view of the recent threats, Frank is wondering if perhaps the Americans should come to Germany, rather than you taking your robots to the U.S. The plan Frank has in mind is that some NASA and U.S. Department of Defense engineers will be coming *here*, to examine your robots. The only problem is the Americans want verification that the satellites they inspect will be the same ones that Paladin puts into orbit, which requires Paladin be there for the inspection, so he'll be able to tell the difference. And Paladin is incommunicado right now. Franks asks if you'd rather stick to the original plan, take your robots to the U.S., and hope Paladin will be there as planned, or wait here, and hope Paladin can be reached and convinced to come back to Munich for the inspection. <><><><><> Thomas: "Splendid idea my dear Frank. lets invite the NASA men. It makes sense and is certainly the easyest way and also the cheapest. You had good working conditions with them, when the Space Shuttle launched the D1- Mission you told me, why not cooperate a second time?". A heavy weight seems to fall off Thomas shoulders, "So why don´t you make the conection, I will be as cooperative as possible and see how we can accomodate our guests. Also Paladin must not necessarily be present during the examination.". He thanks Frank and goes back to work, apologising to Karen, that there will be no US holidays, at least at the moment. <><><><><> [GM] You proceed with your plans, and the next few days pass uneventfully, while you and Wolfgang work to modify your robots so that their unique features will not be easily duplicatable just from inspecting them. Wednesday, Frank calls you in to his office, and you find two Americans there. One introduces himself as George Langford, a NASA engineer and satellite technician. The other shows a Department of Defense badge, identifying him as Richard Hayes, DoD Intelligence Agency. "We managed to get a message to Paladin," Frank tells you. "He said he might drop in to Germany in the next day or two, or perhaps not." Frank grins at the casual attitude the superhuman has towards intercontinental travel. "But he promised he *will* make the launch date." <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas is pleased to hear that Paladin will make the date. He welcomes the Americans warmly. After exchanging the typical phrases ´..did you have a good flight... is this your first visit to Germany...etc´, he turns to Langford and says with a warm smile :"So you want to look at my ´little robot things´? What are you working on? I don´t want to bore you with a lot of trivial details, which seem to float out of my mouth when I talk about my robots, so let´s see where our common technical ground is.". Then Thomas turns to Hayes, and asks him still friendly but with a more investigative look "And what is your specialty Mr. Hayes? Though we are meeting because of security and defense matters, I wasn´t really expecting someone from the DoD, especially the Intelligence Agency." <><><><><> [GM] Langford is another satellite designer, and seems extremely interested in your robots. You realize you'll have to restrain your natural enthusiasm for discussing your favorite subject with a colleague who really understands them...after all, the point of the last few days' work was to *conceal* some of their more vital features! Hayes smiles affably enough and says "I know quite a bit about orbital systems. Mostly I'm here to double-check Mr. Langford's inspection." <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas phones Wolfgang to arrange everything for the inspection. In the while he explains the general features of his robot and how it is supposed to work on the communications-satellite. When they are about to enter the laboratory, he asks suddenly "How have threads from lunatics about your relationship to Paladin affected your work?". <><><><><> [GM] Both Hayes and Langford look surprised at your sudden question. "You've had threats?" Hayes demands. "I wasn't told that." Langford frowns and says "There have been some bomb threats and nasty letters, which we assume are from cranks, saying that NASA shouldn't work with metahumans." "We are NOT assuming they're from cranks," the DoD intelligence agent corrects the engineer. "These 'cranks' have already attacked several alleged superhumans in the U.S. I'm going to have to speak to your security people about this. What do you know about such incidents here in Germany?" <><><><><> Thomas: "I assume that they are dangerous too!", Thomas is happy, that at least someone considers those idiots a threat. "In an anonymous letter that arrived shortly after the Tokyo incident someone wrote that everything that is touched by monsters must be destroyed and that I will be continuing on my own risk. Frank told me that some other offices got those messages too. The BKA told me that they and the Verfassungsschutz are watching small neo-nazi groups and the like. The BKA is also watching this facility closer." "I think you were not informed because this is an European project, except.."Thomas voice becomes a bit bitter ".. this unexpected examination.". Thomas smiles again " But I am glad, that someone thinks those idiots are dangerous. I was becoming a bit paranoid the last days!". <><><><><> [GM] "I'll have to call headquarters and see if our higher-ups can't get the State Department to arrange a little cooperation between us and the BKA." Hayes seems quite annoyed at this new development. Langford is much more interested in your robots, of course, and he makes approving comments as he looks them over. "This looks somewhat similar to what was discussed in the September '93 Journal of Orbital Technology and Space Science," he says. "Were you influenced by Dr. Pullman's suggestions at all, or was this all developed by you independently?" And you and he continue to discuss satellites and robotics and materials technology. You enjoy the professional exchange, though you have to keep reminding yourself to be alert; Americans aren't above pumping their colleagues for information, even those of an allied nation. Americans, of course, are no different from anyone else in a highly competitive field in that regard. Hayes listens to the discussion, while examining the robots himself, and seems to be able to follow the conversation, but doesn't make many comments himself. After you run a complete demo of the robots' capabilities, and allow the two men to examine them and even dismantle a few sections (nothing that will reveal your own special designs, of course), they nod and say "Everything looks fine, not that we expected this to be much more than a formality anyways. We do appreciate your allowing us to inspect what Paladin will be launching; you understand that we don't really suspect that the ESA would be doing anything we'd find objectionable..." You have to suppress a smile, as NASA has jealously tried to maintain its once-insurmountable lead in the space program by generally refusing to cooperate with any project in which the U.S. wasn't calling the shots. Hayes continues, "...but a lot of people are nervous whenever superhumans are involved anyways, and Paladin is SO damn powerful, there are people in Washington that have seriously proposed trying to impose restrictions on superhuman activities with him specifically in mind. As if writing a law forbidding someone like Paladin from doing something would actually stop him." The intelligence agent snorts. "Might as well issue a warrant for Pulsar's arrest. I'd like to see the jail cell they'll put HIM in." <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas is surprised how serious Hayes takes the threatening. He says, thad he´d be pleased if some cooperation could be achieved. It is hard for him not to tell Langford too much. But when he talks about Pullmann, he smiles, "The original concept was developed, when I was at the university, in fact I watched some children playing with monster/robot-toys and so I had the body for my concepts. I met Pullmann at a conference, and he ..well his speach convinced me that I was on the right way.". After the successfull demonstration Thomas listens to Hayes talking about the problems with super-humans and legislation. "I think those super-humans need to define rules for themselves. As far as I can see Paladin is a very honorable and reasonable person, despite his bonvivant manner. Even Pulsar doesn´t seem to be a criminal, though a bit crazy. A few super-humans seem to work for your gouvernment already, it must have been their free decision. I think a solution must be found with assistance of the United Nations but by the super-humans themselves." <><><><><> [GM] Hayes frowns at you. "Letting superhumans make their own rules? That gives them powers and responsibilities that no one else in a law-abiding society is allowed. Almost like making them a government unto themselves. What happens if they decide they don't want to follow the same rules as everybody else? We're left depending on their benevolence. Personally, I don't like the idea of letting someone like Paladin or Pulsar take the law into their own hands and decide to do whatever the hell they feel like doing." Langford finishes his inspection, and says he hopes he gets to observe the launch. "I'd certainly like to know how your robots perform when put to the test," he says. Frank is pleased, and says everything looks like a go for the launch. "Just as long as Paladin sticks to the schedule," he murmurs worriedly. <><><><><> Thomas: [to Hayes:] "I didn´t say they should do it on their own, but they are so far out of the norm that we can´t decide for them. That doesn´t mean ´normals´ have nothing to say about it. UN narration might be a good choice." [to Langford:] "It´s not totally up to me to decide that, Frank would be the man to talk to, but for me I see no problem." [to Frank:] "Paladin will make the schedule, I´m sure. He will drop in 2 minutes before launch, bring the robot to the satellite and rocket away, after receiving his cheque." Thomas is pleased that everything went so easy. He invites all (Hayes, Langford, Frank, Karen, Wolfgang) to an extended dinner in Munich. Because of the American visitors he proposes a typical Bavarian restaurant (not what he and especially Karen would prefer, but sometimes it´s fun: Folklore, Dirndl, Schuhplatler, a lot to eat and the famous Bavarian beer, remember it´s served in 1 liter portions) but any wish will do. <><><><><> [GM] You all enjoy a hearty Bavarian dinner, and the Americans head for their hotel, while you and Wolfgang and Karen return to your own residences. Karen gives you a kiss good-night. "Take care, Thomas...don't go and spend all night in your lab again, you need to get *some* sleep!" she says with a smile. The next day, you're surprised and dismayed to find a demonstration in front of the ESA administration building when you come in in the morning. A large number of them seem to be skinheads, though there are also Green Party demonstrators and others as well. They're chanting such things as "No American meddling in European affairs!", "No contamination of the space environment!", and "No monsters on German soil!" It's a chaotic and baffling demonstration, with the goals of some of the participants seeming to be totally separate...anti-American, anti- space program, anti-Paladin, and anti-superhuman. As the police begin to disperse them, you see a crude mannequin of Paladin being burned by some of the skinheads. Someone screams "Destroy everything that the monsters touch!" <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas feels anger rising when he sees the demonstration. He is very disappointed, that those would be greens demonstrate together with this scum. A launch by Paladin saves the environment a lot, considering the massive amount of fuel that rockets exhaust. Anti-Americanism is better than hunting the week and innocent, at least the 'Amis' can defend themselves, he thinks sarcastically and wishes Paladin would show up, giving them a chance to show how brave they are instead of this stupidity . When he hears someone shouting the phrase that stood in the anonymous letter, Thomas can't hold back the anger. He turns to that person, raises his broad body in front of him/her and says with a dangerous cold tone: "Would you repeat that, please!". [A little description of Thomas: Thomas Hardenberg is a 1.90 m (6'3") tall, mid-30 German. He has blue/gray eyes, short blond hair and wears a blue/gray Italian designer suit, that can't quite disguise his light overweight but otherwise looks elegant, simple and thus expensive. ] <><><><><> [GM] The punk who yelled the comment about "monsters" is a young skinhead with unshaven features, a grungy T-shirt and worn jeans. He has some kind of a skull tattoo on his forearm, and there are swastikas crudely drawn on the toes of his boots with permanent markers. He glares up at you and says "Are you one of the f***ing government lab rats... using that American freak to launch s*** into space? They're all f***ing monsters, they should all be killed! So should fat pigs like you!" He gives you a shove, which only forces you back a few steps. As you feel a surge of anger, you see police officers in riot gear rushing towards you. "Kill the freakin' monsters, they're even worse than the foreign trash we already have polluting Deutschland!" someone screams. <><><><><> Thomas: The look of policemen rushing by calms Thomas a bit down, he straightens his suit [the famous "Picard Maneuver" ] and says with a grin "You are not even able to spell Deutschland you 'Spatzenhirn' [sparrow-brain], so go back to that pile of thrash from which you emerged!". He makes himself ready if the punk attacks. <><><><><> [GM] The punk looks like he's ready to fight...but the onrushing riot police discourage him, and he turns tail and runs instead. You almost get body- slammed yourself, as the police are here to stop a brawl and not sort out skinheads from bystanders, but you manage to look innocuous enough that the cop pushes you roughly towards the sidewalk and advises you to leave the area. You leave the area by going inside, and in Frank's office, you find him sitting at his desk, rubbing his temples. "What a mess," he sighs. "And more threats. This is really getting to me- " [it's getting to HIM? you think] "Where did they learn about Paladin anyways? There can't be people here in the ESA with ties to neo-Nazi groups, can there? But for all those punks to show up like this with such timing...." He shakes his head. "I take back what I said about wishing Paladin would run into them. Paladin might end flinging a few of them over the horizon, and that's exactly the kind of publicity we DON'T need!" <><><><><> Thomas: "I was suspicious from the start. I didnt believe that some unorganized loonies would send threatening letters to such a facility like this, they usually attack helpless. Those I saw outside were not even able to write or send letters. But you are right, Paladin would not make a good impression at the moment, no matter what he does. Perhaps we should think of a secret launching place and an unofficial change in schedule? We should definitely talk to Paladin about that and we should assure him that we believe in him. At least I do!" Thomas then stands up, walks to the window, looks to the sky and watches the clouds passing by, forming bizarre creatures of the wind. He then turns around and says: "We should talk to the BKA, and perhaps Hayes can arrange some cooperation like he offered." [BTW, when is/was the transmission of Pulsars 'Haitian Ultimatum'? I think I have to revise Thomas thoughts about him. He IS a megalomanic lunatic, but please dont tell him ] <><><><><> [GM] [You can assume Thomas has seen Pulsar's broadcast by now.] Frank says "Yes, we may do that....IF we can get hold of Paladin beforehand. If he just drops in on the day of the launch, as you suggested, we'll simply have to hope for the best. But it's not Paladin we need to worry about, he can certainly take care of himself." The launch date is now three days away. You've heard nothing new from the BKA. The Americans have been exchanging some information with German authorities, but all that's been revealed so far is that these anti- metahuman hate crimes are not unique to Germany...there's been quite a bit of violence in the U.S. as well, and it seems to be popping up all over the world. It's particularly virulent in the Middle East, where paranoid Moslem fundamentalist fanatics are declaring that anyone with 'superhuman' powers is worthy of death, and far more people have been killed than could possibly have been actual superhumans. Africa and Asia are also experiencing quite a bit of turmoil, as rumors of superhumans with the power to alter the landscape, or even reality itself, are spreading through some regions and causing a panic. Given the destruction of Marseilles and Budapest, the major damage inflicted on other cities, like Tel Aviv, Boston and Seattle, and stunts like what Pulsar did, it's easy to see why people are becoming frightened. Unfortunately, as you well know, fear is a breeding ground for the worst forms of intolerance and radical response. None of this prepares you for the sight of your trashed laboratory when you and Wolfgang arrive in the morning to continue your last-minute adjustments on the robots. The police are already there, cordoning off the building. The door is smashed inwards, and you see a swastika spray-painted on the outside. "Death to inhuman freaks!" is written on the door. Karen is already there as well, and she rushes over to you with tears in her eyes. "Thomas, this is awful!" she gasps. "Why would people do this? How did they even know that you were working with Paladin?" When you identify yourself, the police let you, Wolfgang and Karen enter your lab. Furniture is overturned, computers are smashed, the office is ransacked, and more graffiti is painted on the walls inside. Strangely enough, though, you can't find anything of importance that was taken...and although your prototype robot was knocked off its stand, and the ones that will actually go into space were turned over, they don't seem to have been damaged at all. <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas takes Karen in his arm and tells her "We will not give up! Now I'm more interested in doing this job than ever, and I will go my way! Lets find out what remained intact." After Thomas examined the laboratory, he is puzzled. "How did 'they' enter this building and this laboratory, how could they know that this is my place, and .. " Thomas voice drops so that only Karen and Wolfgang can hear him ".. and why haven't 'they' damaged the robots? Guess what,... this looks like a trap, a trap for Paladin. He is supposed to do the job, someone seems to be interested in him, but surely not those punks. We must go to a place where we can talk!" [I suppose they will find an empty lab or a silent place in the cafeteria.] "I seemed to be a bit paranoid the last days. " says Thomas when they are alone " But strange think are going on. This is a high security facility. Something like that should never have happened. Now we must act. Wolfgang would you take care for the lab and the robots? And Karen, I want you to get Paladins phone-number but be discrete, we can't trust anybody! I go to Frank and get some answers" Arriving in Franks office Thomas asks him some questions, and his tone shows that he is very impatient: "How could this happen?" "What exactly did happen?" "There must be an enemy within! What are we going to do about it?" <><><><><> [GM] Wolfgang and Karen nod, and begin their work, while you find Frank. He seems nearly as upset as you. "It wasn't really a secret around here where your lab is," he says. "Virtually anyone who works at the ESA building here could have obtained the information very easily. I'm beginning to think you're right, that someone is leaking information. But I find it hard to believe...I suppose there may be some fascist sympathizers around." He sighs. "You said nothing was altered on your robots. Was any information taken out of your lab, either from your hardcopies or your computer files? Why would these people trash your office but not damage or take the most important things there?" <><><><><> Thomas: "I didn´t say that the robots weren't damaged but it is true. As far as I can see no information was stolen, but who knows if someone copied something via photo or disk?" Thomas sounds enraged when he says to Frank "I'm just a freelance engineer, YOU have some problems, ... " he makes an theatric pause and contiues in a softer voice"... with you security and your workers, but what if this all is just a trick, to lure us into a wrong directiont?" and tries to look innocent. <><><><><> [GM] [Sorry- I assumed that Thomas would have filled Frank in on the details. He wasn't demonstrating knowledge he shouldn't have had! ] "I don't know," Frank says. "We can't very well interrogate all our employees to find out if anyone is a Nazi...though the authorities ARE doing another investigation of everyone's background, to see if they can turn anything up." He frowns and leans back in his chair. "I don't think we should delay the launch. Stopping the launch is exactly what these people want. I think it will be much better if Paladin DOES put your robots in orbit, as soon as possible, and we can announce a successful mission. That will be the best counter-argument to anything these idiots can say." "What exactly do you mean, a trick to lure us in the wrong direction? It seems pretty clear that there is a group opposed to Paladin launching your robots. Either they're against the space program, or they're against superhumans, or both. Do you think something else is going on?" <><><><><> [Damn...It was my intention not to tell him all. So there goes another criminalistic conclusion ] Thomas: "Well, count one and one together, what do you get? If someone wanted to stop the project, he had all the chances he could want, no robots, no launch. If Paladin gets it into his hand, he is gone into the sky and nothing can stop him. On the other hand, no single group of deranged punks would go into this building and destroys only my laboratory, they also would have damaged the robots more severely. Unless someone told them how to get there and what exactly they should do. Now why should Mr. SomeOne do that? He can't be interested in us, his or their interest is in Paladin." *What if they implanted a bomb into the robot? I must warn Wolfgang* these thought flashes through his mind. "I must make an urgent call" he tells Frank, and dials without waiting for Frank to reply. Thomas tells Wolfgang not to open the robots, if he hasn't already done it, until he returns Then he turns back to Frank "Sorry, but I even get more paranoid every passing minute. Those diabolic and megalomaniac schemes I read about in my old comic-books come to my mind. What if Dr. Doom wants to capture Paladin, or rule the world through my robots. What if those aliens Pulsar has evidence of have a masterplan to conquer the world with help of Paladin and me?" Thomas' left eyelid begins to move in spasm and panic swings in his voice [like Chief-Inspector Dreyfus in those Inspector Clouseau films], until he can't hold it longer and bursts into laughter at the view of Frank's puzzled face. "To be earnest Id like to do the launch one day earlier or later than scheduled, or give the robot to Paladin earlier, he can fly to space from any place he wants, as long as he meets the satellite on time. This must stay a secret between us, so there is no chance for leaks." After this he goes back to Wolfgang, to see how he got along and to see if Karen got the number of Paladin. <><><><><> [GM] Wolfgang, in your lab, answers the phone, and after listening to your warning, says "I already thought of that, Thomas. I took the robots apart- very carefully!- " (he *should* have called a bomb disposal unit to be extra-safe, you think) "and found nothing has been altered. However," he pauses, then says "I can't be sure, but I think our mysterious visitors may have opened them up also. Why, I don't know. As I said, nothing was altered or removed or added, I'm sure of that. I've checked half a dozen times. And they couldn't have learned much about their design without dissecting them further." Franks shakes his head. "Aliens and masterminds and...oh come on, Thomas! This isn't a comic book, we may have incredible people wandering around, but we're still living in the real world!" He smiles faintly at your joking, but he seems too stressed to be in a humorous mood right now. "I agree, though, that this may be more about Paladin than about your robots. And changing the launch date may be a good idea. A day earlier would be best, but we may or may not be able to get Paladin to come over here the day after tomorrow. I'll see what I can do." When you get a hold of Karen, she tells you, "Paladin has an answering service. I left an urgent message with him, but I suspect he receives 'urgent' messages all the time. Hopefully he'll recognize your name, and think it's urgent enough to actually respond quickly." "So," she asks you with a wink, "is he really as handsome as he seems on TV?" <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas gladly accepts Franks proposal to launch the robot one day earlier. "The robot will be ready for the early launch anyway. So lets hope Paladin can make it." He is satisfied, that Karen got a message to Paladin, or near him. Her question produces a broad grin on Thomas face. "Yes and no. He is quite a nice guy and has this sunnyboy attitude. But if you have seen him descending from the sky or rocketing away and heard the sonic boom he caused, the you look at him with mixed emotions. His handsome manner nearly makes you forget his powers, but a strange feeling stays." "Lets hope Paladin answers soon, because be want to do the launch one day earlier. That means we have a lot to work on." He then starts to examine the robot together with Wolfgang, and if nothing unusual happens to finish the final tests. <><><><><> [GM] Your inspection confirms Wolfgang's suspicions...someone did tamper with the casings on the robots, though you find nothing altered or removed inside, even after a thorough, meticulous inspection. "Why?" Wolfgang asks. "Industrial espionage? But they couldn't have obtained much useful. Perhaps they were going to put something in them, like a bomb, but were interrupted and had to flee?" Later that afternoon, Frank calls, and says that Paladin actually returned his call, and agreed to come the day after tomorrow! Shortly after that, Karen stops by and says she received a message from Paladin on your answering machine; he said he'd call back later tonight. <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas is wandering why someone would tamper with the robot, but change or alter nothing? Is this again a distraction? He doesn't believe someone disturbed the intruders. Anyway, Thomas and Wolfgang try to fix the last things make final preparations and after Franks call they even work harder on double- checking and further tests. Karens information about Paladins call makes Thomas nervous like a child before Christmas. He is curious what Frank told Paladin, and what Paladin thinks of what is happening here. Not that Thomas thinks Paladin would cancel the launch or believe someone could harm him. But on the other hand there may be a Doomsday for Paladin, *even Superman was defeated*. So he anxiously waits for Paladins call. <><><><><> [GM] Your robots were already ready, though another dozen checks and double-checks would probably have been done before the launch. Now, you'll no doubt do twice that many. But you still can't be totally sure that the robots were really tampered with at all, though from the slightly loosened screws and minute scoring on the edge of a few access plates, you believe Wolfgang is right about someone opening them. Just to be sure, you actually disassemble both of them, in their entirety, check every individual component, reassemble them, and run a complete systems check all the way through. Nothing seems amiss. "We will just have to be extra, EXTRA cautious from now until the launch," Wolfgang says grimly, knowing that you probably won't want to let the robots out of your sight. Karen, sitting at a desk in the corner and eating some dinner, shakes her head and smiles. "You practically sleep in this lab sometimes anyways, Thomas" she says teasingly. You're halfway through yet another diagnostics check, at about 11 P.M., when the phone rings. Karen answers it, as you're critically eying the circuit monitors and Wolfgang is fine tuning something that's already been fine tuned a hundred times, then, after a short but excited exchange, covers the mouthpiece and whispers loudly, "Thomas! It's Paladin!" <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas rushes to the phone and nearly strangles Karen with the cable: "Paladin? Oh I'm glad that you called back! Strange things happened since I met you.". Thomas then tells Paladin the whole story since the anonymous letter, the strange demonstration, the false vandalism in the lab, the tampering with the robot and his thoughts about a trap for Paladin. "But I am confident, that we can continue our relationship and bring it to a good end. So I have suggested to Frank to make the launch one day earlier, that will destroy all plans for the original date, if there are any. I have trust in you and your abilities, but I am nervous, I feel that I overlooked something. It may all sound a bit paranoid, but thats what I feel like at the moment." <><><><><> [GM] Paladin listens to you, but says nothing while you go through your suspicions. You wish you could see him, to gauge how he's reacting. "Yeah, someone's up to something," he agrees- a major understatement, in your opinion. "But how could anyone make a trap for *me*? Far as I can tell, nothing this side of an atomic bomb can hurt me. Of course, another explosion that kills innocent people around me would sure put another dent in my image. Maybe these creeps just want to make me look bad." His voice is grim and angry. "I'll be there tomorrow for the launch. Tell your people not to worry about my safety, just make sure your equipment and your people are secure." <><><><><> Thomas: Thomas ensures Paladin that he will organise everthing and that he is looking forward to the launch. This call leaves Thomas unsatisfied, he can't explain what he expected, but there is a secret to solve and the best he could reveal was to find out that there is a secret at all. He slips between couriosity to fear. But finaly he tries to concentrate on his work, assembling everything and preparing the robot for it's journey. When everything is done, they go through the program the robot has to perform with the satellite, the main job it has to do, which seemed to be nearly forgotten over the huzzle about Paladin and the launch,0 They find at least some sleep later that night, though they all are very exited and wonder what the next day will bring. In the morning Thomas will speak with Frank to arrange a place where Paladin can pick up the robot and fly up into the sky. Bringing it to its final destination. * * * * * * * * * * [I forgot the size of Karen and Wolfgang: Karen´5´8" slender, Wolfgang 6´6" but thin,Thomas 6´4" husky.] Wolfgang Eckermann and Thomas met over 15 years ago at the University in Hamburg. Wolfgang studied Computer-Science and they met in a computer class. They shared many subjects and worked together on some university projects. When Thomas build his own company, Wolfgang helped him on some projects (with intelectual input). They are both 35 years old Wolfgang is a freak, bearded, long black hair, tall and thin, loose fitting clothes,always smoking (he rolls his cigarets himself), spending his free time hacking, a genius, but not very dynamic. Spends all his money immediatly on some gadgets, his appartment looks like the bridge of the Enterprise if you remove all casing of the panels and walls. He prefers bicycles over cars and computers over women (at least most of the time ). Name: Wolfgang Eckermann Points: 100.0 Player: NPC ATTRIBUTES Will: 15 -- ST 10 Vision: 15 +20 DX 12 Hearing: 15 +60 IQ 15 Smell: 15 -10 HT 9 cost Advantages Skills level cost diff base +15 Intuition Athletic Skills --- Literacy Breath Control 12 1.0 M/VH IQ-3 +10 Mathematical Ability Swimming 8 --- P/E DX-4 +10 Stoicis Language Skills English 14 1.0 M/A IQ- 1 cost Disadvantages German 16 1.0 M/A IQ -5 Addiction Latin 12 0.5 M/H IQ-3 -5 ( +1) Compulsive Gambling Outdoors Skills -5 Curiosity Naturalist 14 2.0 M/H IQ- 1 -10 Laziness Professional Skills -5 Sense of Duty (Companions) Computer Operation 16 2.0 M/E IQ+1 -10 Wealth: Struggling Electronics 15 2.0 M/A IQ+0 Operation: cost Quirks Communications -1 Makes Ciigaretts himself Electronics 15 2.0 M/A IQ+0 -1 Dreamer Operation: Computers -1 Fond of Cats Scientific Skills -1 Likes Watching the Stars Computer 18 6.0 M/H IQ+3 -1 Wants to be the Best Programming Electronics: 14 2.0 M/H IQ- 1 Summary of character points spent Computers Points in attributes: 70.0 Mathematics 16 1.0 M/H IQ+1 Points in advantages: 35.0 Physics 16 6.0 M/H IQ+1 Points in disadvantages: -40.0 Thief/Spy Skills Points in quirks: -5.0 Forgery/TL 16 6.0 M/H IQ+1 Points in skills: 40.0 Scrounging 17 4.0 M/E IQ+2 TOTAL POINTS: 100.0 Streetwise 14 1.0 M/A IQ-1 Vehicle Skills Bicycling 13 2.0 P/E DX+1 Driving: Car 11 0.5 P/A DX-1 Karen Derfflinger, met Thomas eight years ago, when she became his personal assistent. She is a good looking slender blonde, dynamic, educated, recourcefull, likes sports, the theatre and haute couture. She and Thomas regularly spend some time together, going to partys, visiting museums and exibitions, shoping, but they never got intimate (every time there was an opportunity some kind of rational convention prevented it, though they certainly are in love). They have an easy relationship, there is no pressure of any kind, they share many ideas and know each other well. In fact she dresses Thomas, who doesn´t care much about "trivial" things. She is a kind of mother/sister/muse for him. During business she wears elegant clothes that reveal not too much but enough of her well rounded (but not too voluptuous) figure, that men are irritated (it´s a game of her), and wears her shoulder long hair tucked She is the stronghold before Thomas office, few people get past her, so he has his mind free for creativity. In free time she wears jeans/t-shirts or fitting clothes for her various hobbies. She always wears big (but elegant) glasses. She is 29 years old. Name: Karen Derfflinger Points: 100.0 Player: NPC ATTRIBUTES Will: 15 Basic damage -10 ST 9 Vision: 14 Thrust: 1-2 +30 DX 13 Hearing: 14 Swing: 1-1 +45 IQ 14 Smell: 14 Punch: 1-2 +20 HT 12 Kick: 1+0 cost Advantages Skills level cost diff base +15 Appearance: Handsome Acrobatics Maneuvers +5 ( +1) Charisma Gymnastics 1 1.0 MA/H DX-* --- Literacy Animal Skills +4 ( +1) Strong Will Riding 12 1.0 P/A DX- 1 Artistic Skills cost Disadvantages Dancing 13 2.0 P/A DX+0 -10 Bad Sight: Farsighted Writing 12 0.5 M/A IQ- 2 (correctable) Athletic Skills -10 Honesty Acrobatics 12 2.0 P/H DX-1 -10 Rupophobia (Dirt) Parachuting 13 1.0 P/E DX+0 -10 Sense of Duty (Employer) Swimming 12 0.5 P/E DX-1 Language Skills cost Quirks English 13 1.0 M/A IQ- 1 -1 Enjoys "turning" mens heads French 13 1.0 M/A IQ- 1 -1 Energetic German 16 2.0 M/A IQ+0 -1 Sensitive about appearance Spanish 13 1.0 M/A IQ- 1 -1 Taps Fingers on Tables Martial Arts Skills -1 Would like to have Children Karate 12 2.0 P/H DX- 1 Medical Skills Summary of character points spent First Aid/TL 13 0.5 M/E IQ-1 Points in attributes: 85.0 Professional Skills Points in advantages: 24.0 Accounting 12 1.0 M/H IQ-2 Points in disadvantages: -40.0 Computer Operation 14 1.0 M/E IQ+0 Points in quirks: -5.0 Law 12 1.0 M/H IQ-2 Points in skills: 36.0 Scientific Skills TOTAL POINTS: 100.0 Economics 12 1.0 M/H IQ-2 Linguistics 12 2.0 M/VH IQ-2 Social Skills Administration 16 6.0 M/A IQ+2 Savoir-Faire 14 1.0 M/E IQ+0 Sex Appeal 14 6.0 M/A HT+2 Thief/Spy Skills Detect Lies 11 0.5 M/H IQ-3 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.