[] Hanging Out
-[] Dragon and the TSAB
Maskless 6.12
Tuesday, May 3
The laptop's screen flickers in the corner of your eye, and you offer a small wave to the side. "Good evening, Dragon. Give me a second or two."
"All right…" You fiddle with the wires and where to plug them in before shrugging your shoulders and sticking a wire in each of the three holes that make up this port. Perfect Storm will let you know if the initial charging is a recipe for disaster. You only have time to fiddle with another couple of ports before Dragon's curiosity grows too strong for her to contain any longer.
"What are you doing?"
You point a finger at the radio tube lying in front of you. "You remember the power issue we had the last time we tried to use this to talk to the TSAB? I talked to our Tinker, and he put a generator together for it. Now we can talk with them about whatever we want whenever we want."
The heroine's digital avatar stares dumbfounded at you.
"The Privateers have a Tinker? And he can work with magic? When did that happen?"
"A couple of weeks ago. He isn't
really a Tinker, though. Storm and I gave him a Device loaded up with blueprints and magi-engineering books when we found out he had a Linker Core. I just asked him to build me a generator once he got his workshop set up." Nodding at your handiwork, you scoot over to the blue shell. "I thought I might give the TSAB another call now that we can actually have a conversation with them."
"I suppose it is a good thing I finished the first-contact files," Dragon replies with a sigh.
"Anything in particular you plan to discuss?"
"The same thing we tried to talk about last time we rang them up, I guess. The Endbringers and how the hell we deal with them. It'd be nice if they had to fight the same sort of thing and successfully defeated their own."
"I believe the phrase you're looking for is 'impossibly convenient'
."
Probably true, but you'd rather hope for the best. It has worked out for you ever since finding Perfect Storm. But maybe that's just the lingering concussion talking. Your dad and Samantha both told you that you were absolutely, one-hundred-percent barred from any kind of combat this week as a result of your misadventure with MS-13 and their explosives. Not that they have anything to worry about today; after spending the last couple of days charging cartridges, you're worn out.
"Whatever. Are you ready?" Dragon's avatar gives you a single nod, and you reach over to flip the switch. After a second's splutter, the generator gives off a whisper-quiet hum. Huzzah! While you are busy celebrating, fits of blue-white sparks leap out and burst into floating holographic screens. Sure, most of them are filled with data you don't have the first clue how to interpret, but it works! "We're in business now. Storm, call up the TSAB. It's time we have a little chat."
"Do you know anything about their culture? Your email did not tell me anything about that, so I was not sure what we did and did not have to include in this briefing packet. I can trim it if I know what they would already find familiar."
"I don't know much about them, either," you admit. "Storm doesn't remember much at all about the species that built it. I would have told you what I knew if I knew something worthwhile."
A large screen appears, and static flickers for a long moment. What will they look like? Tiny grey humanoids? Dinosaurs? Big fluffy dogs? Any or all of those you can handle, but you're drawing the line at tentacle monsters. The static resolves into a coherent picture.
"TSAB Enforcer Command, Lieutenant Tiburon speaking."
"…You're human."
"Yes…?" the man on the other side of the screen says in a slow voice. He doesn't have long ears or ridges on his forehead or even green skin; he's just some white guy in a vaguely military uniform and a black buzzcut! So much for sci-fi movies.
"Who are you?"
Indecision wages war in your head for a second, but then you take off your hat and mask. This is against all aspects of cape culture, but Tiburon has no mask, and it isn't like they don't already know your name. "Taylor, the mage from Earth Bet who talked to you last month. Hi again."
"Earth Bet— Oh! Pleasure to see you finally. Is your power supply stable enough to speak with one of our admirals? He has been hoping to talk to you ever since you first contacted us."
"S-Sure." Holy crap, an admiral. You thought you would just talk to Tiburon or that other lieutenant you called last time, maybe someone a rank or two higher up. But a full-blown admiral?! These guys do not take first-contact situations lightly, do they?
The screen turns a calming blue with alien symbols scattered throughout, and Dragon whispers,
"This is real. This is really happening."
"I told you they were real, didn't I? You even heard them talking back to us."
"Calamity, this is solid proof that we aren't alone in the universe. Not only that, there are other humans out there. Not aliens that might see us as food. Not monsters that can't understand us and who we can't understand in return. Humans! This is… I can't even begin to express the magnitude of this."
"Miss Taylor?" You turn around to find an older man in a more decorated version of Tiburon's uniform sitting at a desk. Strong facial features, a little bit of greying at the temples but otherwise still in his prime. Maybe a little younger than you would have expected an admiral to be, but since military organizations are supposed to be meritocracies, that just means he's very good at his job.
"I am Admiral Dietrich Tucson, Director of the Time-Space Administration Bureau's Enforcer Command. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."
You swallow. "Ah, nice to meet you, too, Admiral. And this is Dragon," you add while prodding Perfect Storm to throw up a screen next to your head relaying Dragon's video feed. "She's one of our world's greatest heroes and definitely our foremost engineer. She has been helping me figure out how to get ahold of you."
"Then allow me to extend our welcome to you as well, Miss Dragon. Now, I hoped we could discuss a few things as we now have a stable connection. Some of the information you gave us the last time we were in contact was disturbing, to say the least."
Oh, yeah. All you managed to get out last time was that there was a madness-causing monster running around attacking cities. That would disturb anyone. "Sure, absolutely. We actually have an information packet that Dragon prepared, but we can give you the highlights now if you want?"
Tucson nodded, and a picture of the Simurgh replaced Dragon's avatar.
"This is the entity Ca— Taylor
called you about last time. We call her or it, depending on who you ask, the Simurgh. She is an incredibly powerful telepath, telekinetic, and precognitive, and she also has the ability to tap into the talents of Tinkers, our world's term for individuals who have a unique understanding of advanced technology. Her best-known and most terrifying talent, however, is a psychic scream that causes anyone who is exposed to it for too long to go insane. That would be enough on its own, but this insanity is directed, turning ordinary individuals into weapons that attack infrastructure and people who either are or are predicted to be important to our society.
"She is one of three such monsters, which collectively we term the Endbringers. They attack cities approximately every three months, roughly rotating through their roster. The reasons behind their actions and their goals are unknown. No one has ever managed to meaningfully communicate with them. What we do know is that they do not cease their attacks until they have destroyed whatever city they target or they take enough physical damage that they are forced to retreat and recuperate. Each attack costs hundreds, sometimes thousands of lives."
"Endbringers," Tucson repeats slowly, tasting the word and the hefty meaning behind it. Dragon takes the opportunity to reappear on her screen.
"I will see if we have any records on similar creatures elsewhere in Dimensional Space once you send the briefing packet. As you have already told us that you are the lone mage on your world, Taylor, I presume your own military has been repelling these entities using mass weapons. What kind of effectiveness have you had?"
"None, assuming 'mass weapons' are physical projectiles and explosives."
"Then how…?"
"Parahumans." Tucson turns his confused expression from Dragon back to you. "That's what we call people who suddenly develop strange and amazing powers. Indestructibility, lasers, advanced technology, teleportation; all sorts of powers are possible. They can't be learned, and they aren't taught. That's been tried and failed. They just appear without any warning."
"Spontaneous manifestations of Rare Skills?" mutters the admiral to himself.
"How many of these powers are there?"
"How many parahumans? A few tens of thousands over the entire world. A large number, but just a drop in the bucket compared to the billions that make up our total population. How many powers?" Dragon shakes her head.
"As many as there are parahumans. Some parahumans' powers share similarities, particularly those that belong to close relatives, but there is always some difference."
Tucson stares at her, then you, then her again.
"I see," he finally says.
"I must admit that I have never heard of such a thing before, but I would have to consult with the Infinite Library to be sure that it is truly unique. I would recommend you give this information to the Enforcer team, as well."
"Enforcer team? You sent people here?" That isn't good. You just know people are going to be screaming alien invasion or some such nonsense.
"I did. The Agharti
, the ship that crashed onto your world? It was carrying a very dangerous magical artifact on board, one that was being brought back to Midchilda – the TSAB's capitol world – for containment. It activated once after being discovered, and it killed the entire crews of two ships and nearly destroyed a third before it was sealed. I sent a team of some of my best to retrieve it before it reactivates."
You swallow and tighten your hand around Perfect Storm's shaft. Something that dangerous could be running around loose here on Earth Bet? That's a terrifying thought.
"When are they planned to reach us?" Dragon asks.
"They should arrive shortly. The last communication we received from them was two days ago, and they said they would proceed slower than planned because of a strange turbulence in the Dimensional Sea. If you are concerned about the effect their presence could have on your leaders and your populace," he says, correctly guessing the source of their apprehension,
"you can put yourself at ease. My men are quite discreet."
"We might be able to help, then," replies the Tinker.
"I have arranged a short expedition to attempt to retrieve pieces of your ship from the ocean floor. Rather than haul everything up, I will instead limit my retrieval to smaller items and take careful photographs so they can identify this artifact."
"What? When were you going to tell me you were going to do that?!"
"I was going to tell you after we discussed whatever it was you called me about today. It was supposed to be a surprise." Her smile is sheepish.
"Surprise?"
Tucson's lips are quirked from holding back the laugh that clearly wants to come out.
"You two can settle that yourselves, but since you have already made arrangements, I was wondering if you might do us a small favor while you are down there." You nod, and Dragon gives him a curious tilt of her head. His smile fades away as he continues,
"After so long in the ocean, finding the crews' remains would be difficult, but I and the TSAB as a whole would appreciate it greatly if you could collect whatever might be personal effects. Anything we can return to their families for burial and remembrance."
"Of course."
"And their Devices, too, I guess?" you ask in a weak voice. You sound like a child, you know it, but you can't help the fear creeping into the back of your head. "Somebody will want Perfect Storm back, won't they?"
Tucson recognizes your worry for what it is, and he gives you a soft smile as he shakes his head.
"Intelligent Devices have a way of choosing their own wielders. If we so much as thought about trying to take your partner away, every single one of our mages would rise up in revolt not a minute later. Besides, if you can retrieve even a single personal item from the Agharti
, everybody who lost a loved one in the crash would be firmly behind you. You have nothing to fear, Taylor. Perfect Storm is yours."
Dragon and Tucson discuss some of the details of their expedition for a few minutes and Perfect Storm relays the data packet before the admiral signs off. "Hey, Dragon?" you ask when a thought crosses your mind. "Do you want me to ask Shipwright to come along? He's the one learning about magic technology. He might be able to point out what we should leave alone until the Enforcer team gets here." And hopefully he won't freak out when he learns that aliens are real and on their way to Earth.
"I suppose it cannot hurt to ask," she agrees.
"If he thinks he can help, then he is welcome to come. I will not hold it against him if he would rather stay in his workshop. We can also deliver anything we find that isn't someone's personal effects to him. I cannot make heads or tails of their technology, but perhaps he can."
"I'll give him a call, then. Is there anything else you want me to ask him?"
"Could…" Dragon trails off before shaking his head.
"Never mind. No, nothing at this time. Just let me know if he's coming."
"Are you—" The screen showing the heroine's face blanks out. "—sure? Hey, Storm? Did that seem weird to you?" A chime comes from the ruby orb. "Yeah, me, too."
+1 training to Shell Barrier (3/4 Adept).
+1 Inspiration to Digital Blueprints.
Knight Armor learned.
20 cartridges created.
This chapter was a lot of fun, just so you know! 
It's the middle of the week, isn't it? Guess that means time to plan things for Tim to build. Since a few people asked about it, building a surgical suite (which he needs if he wants to install prosthetics into anybody) will take two of his three time slots. Power armor also takes two slots in case anyone forgot, so no building a second suit of power armor and the suite. He also has tech points he can spend. Take 24 HOURS to talk it over.
But if for some reason you think that's earned a reward...
