Re: New Vindicators Academy of Europe #29: The Son of Man (M&M 2E - IC)
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:48 pm
NVAE, WRECK ROOM (Greystone, Imago, Shiver, Taheka, Ursa; NPCs: Armorer, Backlash, Cacophony, Candyman, Capacitor, the Drifter, Eiron, Felsic, Fiore, Gae’bolg, Hubris, Kiln, Larrikin, Magnitude, Manticore, Martin, Maze, Parabola, Pict, Puck, Rheid, Singularity, Tantivy, Thorn, Vestige)
“‘E took my beloved Emma and told me zat if I ever wanted to see ‘er again, I would do as ‘e said. Before Liz and ze Aurelius arrived, I ‘ad already transformed sixteen people into O’Shaes. I all but ‘elped to make zat man a god.”
"All that and you still haven't gotten the bloody idea to stop it?" Violet shook her head. "Bloody Hell, Martin."
“Were you in my shoes, would you ‘ave gambled wiz someone’s life and resisted? I knew I was getting a carrot on a stick, but I ‘ad to do everyzing I could to try and save ‘er...”
"Well, that begs the question,” said Dennis, “why did the Astrolabe choose to bring you here to a world with another Robor in it?"
Otso seemed to be thinking the same thing: "You mentioned you'd powered up your Robor. Did the Aurelius stop him, maybe sharing that information is why you're here?"
“I have a theory,” said Kas. “The first time we met Liz, Jack, Harry, Gaspar, Astrid, and I were taken to the world we’ve taken to calling the Imperial World. Essentially, Neo-Sapiens are sought after by nobility, as our powers pass on. Monarchs still rule, albeit it with a sort of superpowered arms race occurring.
“Anyway, it took me because my doppelgänger was behind a plot to start a war. Harry’s double was also involved. The others... I don’t believe the Astrolabe needed them, insomuch as they needed to be there.
“Jack? Would you have known about the effects of the apple without going there?
“Astrid began to see how her zeal was putting the rest of us at risk.
“Gaspar found a way to control his powers and overcame his depression, following the battle with Laputa.
“The next time we encountered Liz, it took us to Dennis’ world. Jack and Astrid were there, but this time so were Violet, Pirjo, Ellen, Otso, and Beatrice. This was where Astrid fully understood the ramifications of what she was doing. Jack and Ellen’s relationship began here. Otos and Beatrice’s seemed to deepen.
“I... must admit, I am not sure if the Astrolabe needed Violet and Pirjo there or if Violet and Pirjo needed to be there... but it always seems to be one way or the other.
“Perhaps Liz was wrong: the Astrolabe doesn’t need Martin to save our world, but to give him an opportunity to save himself.”
Martin shrugged. "Perhaps," he said. "In ze meantime, I can still alter Randy's DNA so zat he cannot contribute to Robor's ritual... but zat may act as ze catalyst zat I experienced on my world. Should we roll ze dice? Should I fix Randy?"
Taheka wasn't so sure that Martin's offer was the best thing for them: "So, you would change people whether they wanted to or not and how do you know what is right for them?"
"Well, I don't need any further convincing that any body-modification ideas from you are bad," offered Otso.
"Bad?" Martin looked insulted. "We are talking about fixing 'im--all of you. I 'ave given this one back 'is eye. I can give Kas back 'is sight. I can remove ze tumor from Jack's lungs. I can make Randy not be 'is father's son. I can strengzen your immune systems. I can cure diabetes or myopia. I can make you ze ideal body weight or ze average height for your age. How is being perfect 'bad'?"
Suddenly, Otso was reminded of something else: his father's brother was in Vienna. They had met twice since Puck's love potion experiment. He wanted to take Otso back to the States with him--away from this school and Beatrice. Otso was resisting it, but if the man pushed it...
If Martin could alter Otso's genetics so that he was not a genetic match, he might be able to find a way to stay, should it come to that.
NAVE, HALLWAY (Fluxx; NPCs: Fach)
<<"Tatanja, please, wait.">> he said in German. <<"Please, Violet was right, you are ideal the way you are, and we are working on the rest.">>Fluxx says. <<"*I* do not feel like he does. Please don't doubt that.">>
<<"I don't,">> said a tear-eyed redhead, <<"but we both know he's right. I'm gaining weight. I'm only barely stable because of the pills, but... it's hard to sleep. You don't know, but... sometimes, I wake up and I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, trying to will myself to fall back to sleep.
<<"During the day, there are times it feels like my leg is going to fall asleep.
<<"Chicken tastes like shit. I love chicken and suddenly I can't stomach it.
<<"There's all these side-effects from the stupid pills, and that other you? He says he can fix it! Why shouldn't I let him? Why shouldn't I just let him just change me? No more pills. No more weight. No more sleepless nights or leg pain or nausea or anything!">>
NVAE, BAND ROOM (Lex; NPCs: Bottom)
Bottom just nodded a few times. He leaned back against the wall behind Lex, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "I'd be lying if I said I understood. There are times I sort of envy people like you, Lex. Your powers are remarkable. When you were in Tokyo, you ran... I don't need to tell you. You did it. Me? I'm a smooth talker. That's all I got. Well, that and... I'm pretty long lived.
"I don't think I've ever really been upfront with you about my past. I haven't really told anyone. Newton knows. Old Man Bacon, too. The truth is, I'm a few hundred years old. I don't know if I'm immortal or if I just don't age. I'm too chicken to test it. I was cursed, you see. A few hundred years ago, this creature decided to monkey with my life and ever since then, I've been unnaturally charismatic and I haven't aged a day.
"Now that creature's holding up at the school, playing games with other people." Bottom shook his head. "If it weren't for the Aurelius, I doubt Newton would have let Puck anywhere near this school.
"Anyway, I'm never going to save anyone with what I've got. That's all there is to it. You? You get to be the hero. You get to go charging into burning buildings and run along crumbling bridges and save people at the last second. Sometimes, they may not seem grateful, but then... something is going to change. Maybe one day, this guy you saved? Maybe one day, he's going to hold his first child and smell its head and take in that baby smell, and he's going to be thankful he's alive. I can't promise he'll realize it's because of you, but... he'll appreciate it then. At least... I hope he does."
“‘E took my beloved Emma and told me zat if I ever wanted to see ‘er again, I would do as ‘e said. Before Liz and ze Aurelius arrived, I ‘ad already transformed sixteen people into O’Shaes. I all but ‘elped to make zat man a god.”
"All that and you still haven't gotten the bloody idea to stop it?" Violet shook her head. "Bloody Hell, Martin."
“Were you in my shoes, would you ‘ave gambled wiz someone’s life and resisted? I knew I was getting a carrot on a stick, but I ‘ad to do everyzing I could to try and save ‘er...”
"Well, that begs the question,” said Dennis, “why did the Astrolabe choose to bring you here to a world with another Robor in it?"
Otso seemed to be thinking the same thing: "You mentioned you'd powered up your Robor. Did the Aurelius stop him, maybe sharing that information is why you're here?"
“I have a theory,” said Kas. “The first time we met Liz, Jack, Harry, Gaspar, Astrid, and I were taken to the world we’ve taken to calling the Imperial World. Essentially, Neo-Sapiens are sought after by nobility, as our powers pass on. Monarchs still rule, albeit it with a sort of superpowered arms race occurring.
“Anyway, it took me because my doppelgänger was behind a plot to start a war. Harry’s double was also involved. The others... I don’t believe the Astrolabe needed them, insomuch as they needed to be there.
“Jack? Would you have known about the effects of the apple without going there?
“Astrid began to see how her zeal was putting the rest of us at risk.
“Gaspar found a way to control his powers and overcame his depression, following the battle with Laputa.
“The next time we encountered Liz, it took us to Dennis’ world. Jack and Astrid were there, but this time so were Violet, Pirjo, Ellen, Otso, and Beatrice. This was where Astrid fully understood the ramifications of what she was doing. Jack and Ellen’s relationship began here. Otos and Beatrice’s seemed to deepen.
“I... must admit, I am not sure if the Astrolabe needed Violet and Pirjo there or if Violet and Pirjo needed to be there... but it always seems to be one way or the other.
“Perhaps Liz was wrong: the Astrolabe doesn’t need Martin to save our world, but to give him an opportunity to save himself.”
Martin shrugged. "Perhaps," he said. "In ze meantime, I can still alter Randy's DNA so zat he cannot contribute to Robor's ritual... but zat may act as ze catalyst zat I experienced on my world. Should we roll ze dice? Should I fix Randy?"
Taheka wasn't so sure that Martin's offer was the best thing for them: "So, you would change people whether they wanted to or not and how do you know what is right for them?"
"Well, I don't need any further convincing that any body-modification ideas from you are bad," offered Otso.
"Bad?" Martin looked insulted. "We are talking about fixing 'im--all of you. I 'ave given this one back 'is eye. I can give Kas back 'is sight. I can remove ze tumor from Jack's lungs. I can make Randy not be 'is father's son. I can strengzen your immune systems. I can cure diabetes or myopia. I can make you ze ideal body weight or ze average height for your age. How is being perfect 'bad'?"
Suddenly, Otso was reminded of something else: his father's brother was in Vienna. They had met twice since Puck's love potion experiment. He wanted to take Otso back to the States with him--away from this school and Beatrice. Otso was resisting it, but if the man pushed it...
If Martin could alter Otso's genetics so that he was not a genetic match, he might be able to find a way to stay, should it come to that.
NAVE, HALLWAY (Fluxx; NPCs: Fach)
<<"Tatanja, please, wait.">> he said in German. <<"Please, Violet was right, you are ideal the way you are, and we are working on the rest.">>Fluxx says. <<"*I* do not feel like he does. Please don't doubt that.">>
<<"I don't,">> said a tear-eyed redhead, <<"but we both know he's right. I'm gaining weight. I'm only barely stable because of the pills, but... it's hard to sleep. You don't know, but... sometimes, I wake up and I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, trying to will myself to fall back to sleep.
<<"During the day, there are times it feels like my leg is going to fall asleep.
<<"Chicken tastes like shit. I love chicken and suddenly I can't stomach it.
<<"There's all these side-effects from the stupid pills, and that other you? He says he can fix it! Why shouldn't I let him? Why shouldn't I just let him just change me? No more pills. No more weight. No more sleepless nights or leg pain or nausea or anything!">>
NVAE, BAND ROOM (Lex; NPCs: Bottom)
Bottom just nodded a few times. He leaned back against the wall behind Lex, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "I'd be lying if I said I understood. There are times I sort of envy people like you, Lex. Your powers are remarkable. When you were in Tokyo, you ran... I don't need to tell you. You did it. Me? I'm a smooth talker. That's all I got. Well, that and... I'm pretty long lived.
"I don't think I've ever really been upfront with you about my past. I haven't really told anyone. Newton knows. Old Man Bacon, too. The truth is, I'm a few hundred years old. I don't know if I'm immortal or if I just don't age. I'm too chicken to test it. I was cursed, you see. A few hundred years ago, this creature decided to monkey with my life and ever since then, I've been unnaturally charismatic and I haven't aged a day.
"Now that creature's holding up at the school, playing games with other people." Bottom shook his head. "If it weren't for the Aurelius, I doubt Newton would have let Puck anywhere near this school.
"Anyway, I'm never going to save anyone with what I've got. That's all there is to it. You? You get to be the hero. You get to go charging into burning buildings and run along crumbling bridges and save people at the last second. Sometimes, they may not seem grateful, but then... something is going to change. Maybe one day, this guy you saved? Maybe one day, he's going to hold his first child and smell its head and take in that baby smell, and he's going to be thankful he's alive. I can't promise he'll realize it's because of you, but... he'll appreciate it then. At least... I hope he does."