Fifth Arc 5.1
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
Fifth Arc 5.1
-April 25, 2011-
-Hebert House for the Terminally Strange-
There is something to be said for waking up in your own bed. The medics confirmed there was nothing physically wrong with me so my dad was able to take me home. Being kidnapped was not fun, but it could have been a lot worse. The medical scanner showed that my body was free of contaminants, which was a blessing. Apparently the drug they gave me was something that metabolized without a trace. Which is kind of scary when you think about it. A knockout drug that leaves no trace at all? I can't blame Tinker tech because there actually is a solution being researched that does this very thing. Oh sure most bullshit scientific inventions can be blamed on Tinkers, but not all.
When I made it home yesterday afternoon no one was in the mood to discuss anything. We sat on the couch and watched movies until it was time for bed. Cocona and Des were still going to school today. They wanted to stay home with me, but Dad put his foot down. The sooner we all got back into our normal routines the better. Besides it would probably be noticed if they played hooky. No one came to wake me up this morning. I felt the space beside me in confusion. Sonata wasn't there. My daughter had glued herself to my side ever since I got home, but she was apparently not here now. I wasn't worried since her melody was somewhere in the house. Oh she was making breakfast with Dad. A glance at the clock showed it being after ten o'clock. This was one late breakfast.
"Taylor! Come on! We know you're up!" Dad called from downstairs. My plans to just laze away the day were now shot. I made my way towards the kitchen where the smells of tasty food beckoned. The last traces of laziness banished by my true master declaring it's desires.
"Smells great guys." I smiled at them. Sonata was standing at the stove in a plain black t-shirt and a blue denim skirt. She was tossing the food in the pan deftly without spilling a thing. I planted a kiss on her head and got a purr in response. Dad finished setting the table before coming over to hug me. I buried my face in his chest and just relished the feeling of closeness. He rubbed my back soothingly.
"Glad that you're home, little owl." He murmured into my hair.
"Glad to be home, Dad." A giggle escaped me as Sonata wedged in between us to claim her own hugs and cuddles. "I love you guys." Before the moment could grow any sappier there was the matter of the food.
"I made a breakfast scramble. At least I think it's a breakfast scramble. Okay okay...I'm hoping it's at least close." My daughter shrugged without concern.
"If it tastes even half as good as it smells then you're good." Dad assured her. She dished up the food. Scrambled eggs, cheese, diced potatoes and peppers, all in the same pan. Simple and well seasoned.
"Mmm...very good, hun." She lapped up the compliment from me happily. Breakfast was quiet, but there was a faint undercurrent of anticipation. It wasn't a sense of doom, but there was a definite feeling of something. Yeah that was vague, but I couldn't put my finger on it at all.
"Sweetheart." Dad began to say as he pushed the last morsels of food around his plate. It was a talk. Not a bad talk given what his melody was saying, but it would be weighty. "Is there anyway for you to make a better tracking device?" Of all the things he could ask that was not what I was expecting. I took a sip of orange juice to give me time to answer. It would have to be something that couldn't be spoofed, detected, or shut down. It would have to run nearly indefinitely. Something that was small enough to be ignored. A subdermal implant would do the job nicely actually. The trick was making one with all of the bells and whistles that wouldn't be the size of a pocket watch. Subdermal anything shouldn't be large enough that it can be seen from six feet away and bulging from the skin.
"Actually Armsmaster's been working on something like that. It's in the final stages and he needs to test it first." Sonata chimed in on the topic. I just continued to chew my breakfast contemplatively. It wouldn't hurt to see if he would like some help. Then again he had Dragon and I didn't want to horn in on their alone time.
"I'll have to think about how to do it, but making a tracking device myself is probably for the best. There's no such thing as being too careful." Especially when you've already been kidnapped once, but that part went unsaid.
"What would you say to taking a vacation? Just a short one. We would leave on Friday and be back Sunday night." Dad suggested. The last time we took a vacation was before Mom died. It felt good to hear him make the suggestion as it highlighted how things were getting better.
"A real vacation? Where would we go, Grandpa?" Sonata asked excitedly. Can't fault her enthusiasm. The only place she's known is Brockton Bay. Roaming the internet doesn't count.
"Well if your mother says yes..." I nodded eagerly eliciting a laugh from him, "...Okay. There's a place in Pennsylvania that we spent some time at. It's quiet and out of the way." Quiet sounded good. The idea of an actual quiet vacation sounded really good about now. Too many things hit us too close together. I knew that we were all feeling the strain.
"It's a nice little bed and breakfast. I'm surprised it's still there." The place in question had been around since the 60's, but apparently was still open for business. It was as if time slowed down while you were there. I was already feeling impatient for Friday. Dad ruffled my hair playfully.
"Easy kiddo. Friday will come soon enough. How about you call your friend Lisa and see if she can get away." He said with a smile. Realization dawned on me. Somewhere along the way all of us had become a family. My answering smile was just as bright.
"...Probably shouldn't pack the rifle, but the Noisy Cricket is out of the testing stages..." Sonata muttered to herself. First order of business? Talk my daughter out of bringing heavy weapons. Dad just laughed.
"Honey...I don't think that's such a good idea..." I was fishing for something to convince her that bringing the heavy artillery was bad. She tilted her head quizzically at me.
"I'm just factoring in our usual luck. If I didn't bring weapons then we'd need them. The law of Universal Perversity." She shrugged her shoulders as if delivering a devastating logic bomb. The sad thing was that I couldn't even disagree with her. Our luck was bad even when it was good.
"Why not get a couple of those ELMAs to follow us? We could load them in the van maybe." Dad wasn't even trying to talk her out of this. They both turned to me.
"Okay. Point made. I'll go to headquarters and see what's there. Hmmm...probably need to upgrade my armor again." The idea of further improving my armor was thrilling, but at the same time it was frustrating. Is this how Armsmaster felt whenever he found a situation he wasn't prepared for?
"Ooh I'm coming too! I've got a couple ideas for improving my Song magic rig." My little girl was clearly over the moon about improving her equipment. That reminded me of something.
"I have an idea that you might like to test out. The individual parts were already approved, but I haven't tried putting them together yet. It would be bigger than your Cutey ELMA, but it would function as an add-on. Consider it a present so no asking me what it is until it's done." I tapped her on the nose. She pouted adorably, but that wouldn't work. Dad chuckled at our antics.
"She looks just like you wheedling something from your mother." He said with warm nostalgia. I pulled my baby closer so we could smile at him together, cheek to cheek, until he dissolved into laughter.
"The Ship Graveyard Project has been given the green light. The Mayor requested the dockworkers' help in tearing down the eyesore. We'll be getting help from some construction equipment that Dragon is donating to the city. I have to be there to sign off on the delivery." Dad grimaced towards the end, "I know it's not ideal..." I waved him off.
"It's fine, Dad. You can just drop us off at HQ. They wanted to talk to me anyway." Now I was grimacing. They were bringing in a psychologist to speak to me. I would go and do what was said. If I showed myself to be cooperative then the ordeal would end sooner.
"I'll just get the lab warmed up for your arrival." Sonata grinned with a distant look in her eyes. I turned and gave my daughter a look. She was acting kind of weird. It wasn't something immediately apparent, but it was pinging on the Mom-dar.
"Honey? Can I do a quick scan?" It wasn't anything harmful. If it was then I would be getting warnings and alerts. This was something my own systems didn't see as trouble. Dad looked between the two of us in some concern, but wasn't freaking out.
"Uh sure thing, Mom. You don't have to ask." She looked confused.
"Yes I did. You have a right to your privacy." I brushed her hair tenderly as my awareness expanded. Her eyes started to glow in sync with my own. A pale green luminescence with white pupils. A black ring emerged in her irises that faintly resembled targeting reticules. She blinked and the effect receded as I drew back.
"Well doc is it terminal?" She asked humorously, but there was definite curiousity there.
"A few of your systems have updated based on acquired data. If you're not noticing a difference that's fine. Just a few things have been enhanced based on usage. Targeting, thinking speed, and an ability to determine stress points." All good things for a gun Tinker to have. I would almost say she had a Shard. While it's functionally similar the difference is how it was acquired. She needed it and got it. There was no trauma needed. Also Shard powers are a bit more bullshit.
"So nothing wrong? Just a...software update?" Dad asked. He was doing a lot better at keeping up with technology.
"I just wanted to check it out. She was getting a bit too gun happy." I ruffled her hair playfully. She stuck her tongue out at me, but was clearly pleased that I noticed. Left unsaid was that I would always notice her.
"Alright ladies let's clean up. We've got places to be." Dad stood up which was the cue to get a move on. I wasn't looking forward to my talk with the psychologist. They were bringing in a well known and respected parahuman psychologist named Dr. Jessica Yamada. She was highly recommended with a waiting list for her services. Someone got me bumped to the head of the queue. I would accept the privilege gracefully. Part of me was irked that there were people waiting to speak with her and someone put me ahead of them.
"You're broadcasting again, Mom. She actually volunteered to speak with you. Apparently you interest her." Sonata hip checked me. I blushed. I'm not immediately assuming the worst anymore.
It's a work in progress, okay?
-PRT Headquarters-
The office was designed to set a relaxing atmosphere and succeeded remarkably well. I was seated on a rather comfy leather sofa with cushiony armrests. The furniture was designed more for comfort with the carpeting having a delightful texture. Well I thought it was nice. Now I'm starting to think they made this room too comfortable if the carpet is making me think of a nap. The Cutey ELMA in my lap barks to catch my attention. Whoops. I let myself get distracted. Seated at the desk was a pretty woman in white coat, button down shirt, and a tasteful skirt. Her shoes were clearly for comfort and function than pure appearance, but still looked nice.
"I am so sorry. Apparently someone forgot to forward a few things to me." She smiled apologetically. Dr. Yamada stood up from the desk and made her way to a high backed leather chair. In her lap was a notebook. Every inch the professional.
"It's fine." I patted the ELMA sitting in my lap. Getting kidnapped did make a bit more paranoid. She smiled at me and nodded.
"You have been through a fairly traumatic experience. How are you holding up?" She asked me considerately.
"I've been better. If I'd had my armor, and not just an emergency unit, would I have still been taken? I get that the Travelers and Coil are responsible for taking me. Maybe I could have been more prepared?" The small machine butted my chin with it's head lightly. The emotive work was superb. I smiled a bit as my worries about Sonata's specialty evaporated further. She programmed the ELMAs after all.
"So you feel that part of this was your responsibility?" Dr. Yamada asked curiously.
"Tricky really. Could I have gotten away with my full armor? Maybe. If I was willing to go full lethal." The idea made me a bit sick. "I was still outnumbered by a well coordinated group." My distaste must have shown on my face.
"Would it have been worth it?" Again that was tricky. Save my family a lot of worry on one front, but a lot of scrutiny on another. I waved my hand back and forth in a so-so gesture.
"Probably not. They needed me for something so I was fairly safe." Logic was kicking my butt. The doctor looked at me over the top of her notebook. She shook her head slowly.
"When they told me I was skeptical. Please don't be offended, but I was curious to meet a young cape that was so level headed. It's a sad fact of my profession that many of the people I meet genuinely need help." Her melody was apologetic. I couldn't find it in me to be upset with her.
"That's fine...no problem at all...so that means we're done?" Maybe I was just a tad eager to leave. I liked her, but it was a relief. She laughed at my enthusiasm. Good to know that I didn't offend her.
"Yes, we're done. If you don't mind I would like to talk to you from time to time." She held out a business card for me. A private line was written on the back. "What do you have planned for today?"
"Improving my equipment further. I had quite a few ideas from some of the things that Coil had. What better way to thumb my nose at him than steal his pirated designs? It's only fair since he stole from me first." I was feeling a bit vindictive. Coil and Squealer played with my designs and now I was going to improve it using their ideas.
"Oh dear...that's a scary face." Dr. Yamada commented with a faint smile. I flushed a bit in response.
"Not really a heroic attitude is it?" Her melody told me that she was teasing. I giggled a bit. We left her office together and were heading down the hall.
"Unfortunately this is my stop. I have to speak to Miss Militia. Try to stay out of trouble, please?" She waved goodbye.
"Trouble has a habit of finding me!" I waved back as my path continued onward to the lab. It was nice talking to her. The appointment felt more like procedure. Then again didn't police officers have to go through similar things after a traumatic incident? The parallels were there if you bothered to look. We were government agents after all. The Youth Guard did have a point in that it was distressingly easy to forget the Wards are kids. They just took an overzealous approach. When it was taken all together the picture it painted was of good ideas implemented poorly. The PRT wasn't perfect. I was part of it and could see the cracks in the system. The treatment of independents and rogues was draconian.
The PRT was a government sanctioned military organization. That was a gross oversimplification, but it gave me a basis to start from. They had the monopoly on parahuman relations. Scared men on Capital Hill made laws that the PRT was expected to enforce. Since they were the face Capes saw the most then the blame fell on them. People tended to forget that it was old men and women pulling the strings. Did that make them evil? Hardly. Did it absolve the PRT of mistakes? Nope. When you have people that can dead lift super tankers, teleport to anywhere, or become a one man Macross Beam Massacre fear is perfectly natural. The fact that no one can regulate Scion probably adds to that fear considerably. He's benign, if unpredictable, but still no one understands him. No one can keep him in check.
This was what I was against. I know the Reyvateils just want me to observe and not stick my neck out, but they understand my needs. They knew what I was trying to accomplish.
The door to my lab opening distracted me from my thoughts. The large fabricator was all warmed up. Sonata was in her portion of the lab working on the weapon system designs I left her. It was a nice division of labor since she was better at armaments than I was while my armor designs were better. We could both build utility items. She waved to me as I walked in, but didn't look up from her work. I sat down at my terminal as the design schematics for the first three ELMAs came up. Each one an improvement over the last in terms of versatility, but the Mark II frame was still the most durable. It was also the most iconic. The public liked the Mk II the best.
I was a slave to PR now. That's another sin I can lay at the PRT's feet. Sonata snickered as apparently I'm transmitting my thoughts again. Oh well let her laugh. The Cutey ELMA sitting at my feet gazed up at me curiously. Interesting idea. It would work well since many of my designs were built to have easily changed parts. I didn't have Kid Win's specialty of modular design, but it was good enough. Keeping the armor's appearance and upgrading functionality was child's play. The new Cutey ELMA I was designing would be mobile reconnaissance and an extra weapons pack. My new blueprint was fired off to Dragon along with the upgrades to the Mk II. The whole thing was designated Mk IV for simplicity. Calling it the ELMA Linkage Mk II with Optional Surveillance and Weapons Pack was a mouthful.
Now I closed off my connection to the chat channel since it wouldn't do to have someone, like my daughter, get an early peek. Sonata likes the smaller unit with it's greater maneuverability. The thing is that I don't like leaving her lightly armored if the force fields fail. She wasn't supposed to be out in the field, but there she was. No one forced her to go. I was taken so my baby wanted to find me. She had her Buster rifle and her playlist that could mimic my Song's effects. So the first was to make her a set of collapsible armor like Cocona has. Hers was designed to maintain flexibility. Sonata already had the flight unit and force field projector with the Cutey ELMA. That left me with some space on the chassis to install a Harmograph and the same amplifiers from the Mk III. Okay now I was happier with her armor. That was going to be a surprise. The design was sent over to Dragon as well for review.
The last thing to design was going to be a Divine Army armor. The Jacqli Robo design was awesome. Mir didn't build it herself, but she did personalize the machine. I set the coloring to white with gold trim for the more heroic approach. The combat system was designed to be used by a Thinker however. There would be a MP model and this custom model. The custom model was going to be for Lisa. I couldn't figure out how to make such a large thing shrink into an ELMA without Armsmaster's help. It couldn't transform, but then again it didn't need to. Heavily armored with redundant force fields and high energy plasma weapons. Seeking missiles and miniguns rounded out the weapons systems. It also had containment foam grenades and sprayers. The force field bubble grenades were added as well. A larger platform could carry more nonlethal options after all.
Now the trick was going to be getting all of this by Friday.
AN: Paranoid Taylor is Paranoid.
or Melody of Escalation
Fifth Arc 5.1
-April 25, 2011-
-Hebert House for the Terminally Strange-
There is something to be said for waking up in your own bed. The medics confirmed there was nothing physically wrong with me so my dad was able to take me home. Being kidnapped was not fun, but it could have been a lot worse. The medical scanner showed that my body was free of contaminants, which was a blessing. Apparently the drug they gave me was something that metabolized without a trace. Which is kind of scary when you think about it. A knockout drug that leaves no trace at all? I can't blame Tinker tech because there actually is a solution being researched that does this very thing. Oh sure most bullshit scientific inventions can be blamed on Tinkers, but not all.
When I made it home yesterday afternoon no one was in the mood to discuss anything. We sat on the couch and watched movies until it was time for bed. Cocona and Des were still going to school today. They wanted to stay home with me, but Dad put his foot down. The sooner we all got back into our normal routines the better. Besides it would probably be noticed if they played hooky. No one came to wake me up this morning. I felt the space beside me in confusion. Sonata wasn't there. My daughter had glued herself to my side ever since I got home, but she was apparently not here now. I wasn't worried since her melody was somewhere in the house. Oh she was making breakfast with Dad. A glance at the clock showed it being after ten o'clock. This was one late breakfast.
"Taylor! Come on! We know you're up!" Dad called from downstairs. My plans to just laze away the day were now shot. I made my way towards the kitchen where the smells of tasty food beckoned. The last traces of laziness banished by my true master declaring it's desires.
"Smells great guys." I smiled at them. Sonata was standing at the stove in a plain black t-shirt and a blue denim skirt. She was tossing the food in the pan deftly without spilling a thing. I planted a kiss on her head and got a purr in response. Dad finished setting the table before coming over to hug me. I buried my face in his chest and just relished the feeling of closeness. He rubbed my back soothingly.
"Glad that you're home, little owl." He murmured into my hair.
"Glad to be home, Dad." A giggle escaped me as Sonata wedged in between us to claim her own hugs and cuddles. "I love you guys." Before the moment could grow any sappier there was the matter of the food.
"I made a breakfast scramble. At least I think it's a breakfast scramble. Okay okay...I'm hoping it's at least close." My daughter shrugged without concern.
"If it tastes even half as good as it smells then you're good." Dad assured her. She dished up the food. Scrambled eggs, cheese, diced potatoes and peppers, all in the same pan. Simple and well seasoned.
"Mmm...very good, hun." She lapped up the compliment from me happily. Breakfast was quiet, but there was a faint undercurrent of anticipation. It wasn't a sense of doom, but there was a definite feeling of something. Yeah that was vague, but I couldn't put my finger on it at all.
"Sweetheart." Dad began to say as he pushed the last morsels of food around his plate. It was a talk. Not a bad talk given what his melody was saying, but it would be weighty. "Is there anyway for you to make a better tracking device?" Of all the things he could ask that was not what I was expecting. I took a sip of orange juice to give me time to answer. It would have to be something that couldn't be spoofed, detected, or shut down. It would have to run nearly indefinitely. Something that was small enough to be ignored. A subdermal implant would do the job nicely actually. The trick was making one with all of the bells and whistles that wouldn't be the size of a pocket watch. Subdermal anything shouldn't be large enough that it can be seen from six feet away and bulging from the skin.
"Actually Armsmaster's been working on something like that. It's in the final stages and he needs to test it first." Sonata chimed in on the topic. I just continued to chew my breakfast contemplatively. It wouldn't hurt to see if he would like some help. Then again he had Dragon and I didn't want to horn in on their alone time.
"I'll have to think about how to do it, but making a tracking device myself is probably for the best. There's no such thing as being too careful." Especially when you've already been kidnapped once, but that part went unsaid.
"What would you say to taking a vacation? Just a short one. We would leave on Friday and be back Sunday night." Dad suggested. The last time we took a vacation was before Mom died. It felt good to hear him make the suggestion as it highlighted how things were getting better.
"A real vacation? Where would we go, Grandpa?" Sonata asked excitedly. Can't fault her enthusiasm. The only place she's known is Brockton Bay. Roaming the internet doesn't count.
"Well if your mother says yes..." I nodded eagerly eliciting a laugh from him, "...Okay. There's a place in Pennsylvania that we spent some time at. It's quiet and out of the way." Quiet sounded good. The idea of an actual quiet vacation sounded really good about now. Too many things hit us too close together. I knew that we were all feeling the strain.
"It's a nice little bed and breakfast. I'm surprised it's still there." The place in question had been around since the 60's, but apparently was still open for business. It was as if time slowed down while you were there. I was already feeling impatient for Friday. Dad ruffled my hair playfully.
"Easy kiddo. Friday will come soon enough. How about you call your friend Lisa and see if she can get away." He said with a smile. Realization dawned on me. Somewhere along the way all of us had become a family. My answering smile was just as bright.
"...Probably shouldn't pack the rifle, but the Noisy Cricket is out of the testing stages..." Sonata muttered to herself. First order of business? Talk my daughter out of bringing heavy weapons. Dad just laughed.
"Honey...I don't think that's such a good idea..." I was fishing for something to convince her that bringing the heavy artillery was bad. She tilted her head quizzically at me.
"I'm just factoring in our usual luck. If I didn't bring weapons then we'd need them. The law of Universal Perversity." She shrugged her shoulders as if delivering a devastating logic bomb. The sad thing was that I couldn't even disagree with her. Our luck was bad even when it was good.
"Why not get a couple of those ELMAs to follow us? We could load them in the van maybe." Dad wasn't even trying to talk her out of this. They both turned to me.
"Okay. Point made. I'll go to headquarters and see what's there. Hmmm...probably need to upgrade my armor again." The idea of further improving my armor was thrilling, but at the same time it was frustrating. Is this how Armsmaster felt whenever he found a situation he wasn't prepared for?
"Ooh I'm coming too! I've got a couple ideas for improving my Song magic rig." My little girl was clearly over the moon about improving her equipment. That reminded me of something.
"I have an idea that you might like to test out. The individual parts were already approved, but I haven't tried putting them together yet. It would be bigger than your Cutey ELMA, but it would function as an add-on. Consider it a present so no asking me what it is until it's done." I tapped her on the nose. She pouted adorably, but that wouldn't work. Dad chuckled at our antics.
"She looks just like you wheedling something from your mother." He said with warm nostalgia. I pulled my baby closer so we could smile at him together, cheek to cheek, until he dissolved into laughter.
"The Ship Graveyard Project has been given the green light. The Mayor requested the dockworkers' help in tearing down the eyesore. We'll be getting help from some construction equipment that Dragon is donating to the city. I have to be there to sign off on the delivery." Dad grimaced towards the end, "I know it's not ideal..." I waved him off.
"It's fine, Dad. You can just drop us off at HQ. They wanted to talk to me anyway." Now I was grimacing. They were bringing in a psychologist to speak to me. I would go and do what was said. If I showed myself to be cooperative then the ordeal would end sooner.
"I'll just get the lab warmed up for your arrival." Sonata grinned with a distant look in her eyes. I turned and gave my daughter a look. She was acting kind of weird. It wasn't something immediately apparent, but it was pinging on the Mom-dar.
"Honey? Can I do a quick scan?" It wasn't anything harmful. If it was then I would be getting warnings and alerts. This was something my own systems didn't see as trouble. Dad looked between the two of us in some concern, but wasn't freaking out.
"Uh sure thing, Mom. You don't have to ask." She looked confused.
"Yes I did. You have a right to your privacy." I brushed her hair tenderly as my awareness expanded. Her eyes started to glow in sync with my own. A pale green luminescence with white pupils. A black ring emerged in her irises that faintly resembled targeting reticules. She blinked and the effect receded as I drew back.
"Well doc is it terminal?" She asked humorously, but there was definite curiousity there.
"A few of your systems have updated based on acquired data. If you're not noticing a difference that's fine. Just a few things have been enhanced based on usage. Targeting, thinking speed, and an ability to determine stress points." All good things for a gun Tinker to have. I would almost say she had a Shard. While it's functionally similar the difference is how it was acquired. She needed it and got it. There was no trauma needed. Also Shard powers are a bit more bullshit.
"So nothing wrong? Just a...software update?" Dad asked. He was doing a lot better at keeping up with technology.
"I just wanted to check it out. She was getting a bit too gun happy." I ruffled her hair playfully. She stuck her tongue out at me, but was clearly pleased that I noticed. Left unsaid was that I would always notice her.
"Alright ladies let's clean up. We've got places to be." Dad stood up which was the cue to get a move on. I wasn't looking forward to my talk with the psychologist. They were bringing in a well known and respected parahuman psychologist named Dr. Jessica Yamada. She was highly recommended with a waiting list for her services. Someone got me bumped to the head of the queue. I would accept the privilege gracefully. Part of me was irked that there were people waiting to speak with her and someone put me ahead of them.
"You're broadcasting again, Mom. She actually volunteered to speak with you. Apparently you interest her." Sonata hip checked me. I blushed. I'm not immediately assuming the worst anymore.
It's a work in progress, okay?
-PRT Headquarters-
The office was designed to set a relaxing atmosphere and succeeded remarkably well. I was seated on a rather comfy leather sofa with cushiony armrests. The furniture was designed more for comfort with the carpeting having a delightful texture. Well I thought it was nice. Now I'm starting to think they made this room too comfortable if the carpet is making me think of a nap. The Cutey ELMA in my lap barks to catch my attention. Whoops. I let myself get distracted. Seated at the desk was a pretty woman in white coat, button down shirt, and a tasteful skirt. Her shoes were clearly for comfort and function than pure appearance, but still looked nice.
"I am so sorry. Apparently someone forgot to forward a few things to me." She smiled apologetically. Dr. Yamada stood up from the desk and made her way to a high backed leather chair. In her lap was a notebook. Every inch the professional.
"It's fine." I patted the ELMA sitting in my lap. Getting kidnapped did make a bit more paranoid. She smiled at me and nodded.
"You have been through a fairly traumatic experience. How are you holding up?" She asked me considerately.
"I've been better. If I'd had my armor, and not just an emergency unit, would I have still been taken? I get that the Travelers and Coil are responsible for taking me. Maybe I could have been more prepared?" The small machine butted my chin with it's head lightly. The emotive work was superb. I smiled a bit as my worries about Sonata's specialty evaporated further. She programmed the ELMAs after all.
"So you feel that part of this was your responsibility?" Dr. Yamada asked curiously.
"Tricky really. Could I have gotten away with my full armor? Maybe. If I was willing to go full lethal." The idea made me a bit sick. "I was still outnumbered by a well coordinated group." My distaste must have shown on my face.
"Would it have been worth it?" Again that was tricky. Save my family a lot of worry on one front, but a lot of scrutiny on another. I waved my hand back and forth in a so-so gesture.
"Probably not. They needed me for something so I was fairly safe." Logic was kicking my butt. The doctor looked at me over the top of her notebook. She shook her head slowly.
"When they told me I was skeptical. Please don't be offended, but I was curious to meet a young cape that was so level headed. It's a sad fact of my profession that many of the people I meet genuinely need help." Her melody was apologetic. I couldn't find it in me to be upset with her.
"That's fine...no problem at all...so that means we're done?" Maybe I was just a tad eager to leave. I liked her, but it was a relief. She laughed at my enthusiasm. Good to know that I didn't offend her.
"Yes, we're done. If you don't mind I would like to talk to you from time to time." She held out a business card for me. A private line was written on the back. "What do you have planned for today?"
"Improving my equipment further. I had quite a few ideas from some of the things that Coil had. What better way to thumb my nose at him than steal his pirated designs? It's only fair since he stole from me first." I was feeling a bit vindictive. Coil and Squealer played with my designs and now I was going to improve it using their ideas.
"Oh dear...that's a scary face." Dr. Yamada commented with a faint smile. I flushed a bit in response.
"Not really a heroic attitude is it?" Her melody told me that she was teasing. I giggled a bit. We left her office together and were heading down the hall.
"Unfortunately this is my stop. I have to speak to Miss Militia. Try to stay out of trouble, please?" She waved goodbye.
"Trouble has a habit of finding me!" I waved back as my path continued onward to the lab. It was nice talking to her. The appointment felt more like procedure. Then again didn't police officers have to go through similar things after a traumatic incident? The parallels were there if you bothered to look. We were government agents after all. The Youth Guard did have a point in that it was distressingly easy to forget the Wards are kids. They just took an overzealous approach. When it was taken all together the picture it painted was of good ideas implemented poorly. The PRT wasn't perfect. I was part of it and could see the cracks in the system. The treatment of independents and rogues was draconian.
The PRT was a government sanctioned military organization. That was a gross oversimplification, but it gave me a basis to start from. They had the monopoly on parahuman relations. Scared men on Capital Hill made laws that the PRT was expected to enforce. Since they were the face Capes saw the most then the blame fell on them. People tended to forget that it was old men and women pulling the strings. Did that make them evil? Hardly. Did it absolve the PRT of mistakes? Nope. When you have people that can dead lift super tankers, teleport to anywhere, or become a one man Macross Beam Massacre fear is perfectly natural. The fact that no one can regulate Scion probably adds to that fear considerably. He's benign, if unpredictable, but still no one understands him. No one can keep him in check.
This was what I was against. I know the Reyvateils just want me to observe and not stick my neck out, but they understand my needs. They knew what I was trying to accomplish.
The door to my lab opening distracted me from my thoughts. The large fabricator was all warmed up. Sonata was in her portion of the lab working on the weapon system designs I left her. It was a nice division of labor since she was better at armaments than I was while my armor designs were better. We could both build utility items. She waved to me as I walked in, but didn't look up from her work. I sat down at my terminal as the design schematics for the first three ELMAs came up. Each one an improvement over the last in terms of versatility, but the Mark II frame was still the most durable. It was also the most iconic. The public liked the Mk II the best.
I was a slave to PR now. That's another sin I can lay at the PRT's feet. Sonata snickered as apparently I'm transmitting my thoughts again. Oh well let her laugh. The Cutey ELMA sitting at my feet gazed up at me curiously. Interesting idea. It would work well since many of my designs were built to have easily changed parts. I didn't have Kid Win's specialty of modular design, but it was good enough. Keeping the armor's appearance and upgrading functionality was child's play. The new Cutey ELMA I was designing would be mobile reconnaissance and an extra weapons pack. My new blueprint was fired off to Dragon along with the upgrades to the Mk II. The whole thing was designated Mk IV for simplicity. Calling it the ELMA Linkage Mk II with Optional Surveillance and Weapons Pack was a mouthful.
Now I closed off my connection to the chat channel since it wouldn't do to have someone, like my daughter, get an early peek. Sonata likes the smaller unit with it's greater maneuverability. The thing is that I don't like leaving her lightly armored if the force fields fail. She wasn't supposed to be out in the field, but there she was. No one forced her to go. I was taken so my baby wanted to find me. She had her Buster rifle and her playlist that could mimic my Song's effects. So the first was to make her a set of collapsible armor like Cocona has. Hers was designed to maintain flexibility. Sonata already had the flight unit and force field projector with the Cutey ELMA. That left me with some space on the chassis to install a Harmograph and the same amplifiers from the Mk III. Okay now I was happier with her armor. That was going to be a surprise. The design was sent over to Dragon as well for review.
The last thing to design was going to be a Divine Army armor. The Jacqli Robo design was awesome. Mir didn't build it herself, but she did personalize the machine. I set the coloring to white with gold trim for the more heroic approach. The combat system was designed to be used by a Thinker however. There would be a MP model and this custom model. The custom model was going to be for Lisa. I couldn't figure out how to make such a large thing shrink into an ELMA without Armsmaster's help. It couldn't transform, but then again it didn't need to. Heavily armored with redundant force fields and high energy plasma weapons. Seeking missiles and miniguns rounded out the weapons systems. It also had containment foam grenades and sprayers. The force field bubble grenades were added as well. A larger platform could carry more nonlethal options after all.
Now the trick was going to be getting all of this by Friday.
AN: Paranoid Taylor is Paranoid.
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. I hope this was helpful.