* April 16, 2008 *
[Five minute warning.]
She'd gone to the bathroom, fixed herself a light snack, and prepared herself as much as possible.
There was going to be a "crunch" as the various combined perks were sorted and combined. Considering how the last patch had gone, she was preparing as best she could.
One of these preparations was the Comfy Chair. It wasn't sapient, that would have been weird, but it was sentient enough to react to a host of things in the person sitting in it. Detecting tight swollen muscles, such as clenching, it could direct heated pulses to loosen things. If there was thrashing around, such as an epileptic fit, then pads could inflate to provide extra cushioning. It could monitor bio-signs and send an alert if those life-signs varied too far from certain values. If one wished, they could use switches on one armrest to disable all functions. Otherwise it was a pretty damn comfortable recliner.
[Three minute warning.]
She was as ready as she could be.
Her androids were on patrol inside her base, the Astartes were on heightened alert in the Dockworkers' compound, the Marines were always damn ready for a scuffle, and Jarvis was alerted and keeping an eye on everything.
[Two minute warning.]
"All non-essential systems are shut down," said Jarvis' voice from nearby. "All non-essential personnel have been cleared from all areas that are likely to be affected. Supply System has been evacuated by all mobile personnel."
"Good enough, thank you Jarvis," answered Taylor.
[One minute warning.]
Taylor let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
She was not going to panic. Not going to panic. Nope. Not her.
[Beginning.]
The sun rose behind her eyes.
[Finished.]
"Wait. WHAT?!"
[Holes in education patched. Related fields compressed. Applicable Perks merged.]
"What do you mean 'finished'?"
[Warehouse rearranged to better fit needs of primary operator.]
"Okay, that sounds good."
[Access to Warehouse and Hangar now allows for Portals linking to Saturn LaGrange Point.]
There was a roll and a connection, but Taylor was still feeling a whole group of things at the moment and not paying much attention.
"You mean after all that build-up, it wasn't going to spike me a headache and leave me gasping at the breadth of knowledge suddenly slamming into my head?"
"No, that would have been stupid."
Taylor was about to rant some more when she realized that had been spoken and was not a system message.
Short woman, red hair that shifted to pink in brighter light, green eyes, who shifted to taller longer-haired more adult looking version as she stared at her.
Taylor swallowed nervously. "Doctor Washu, I presume."
"Only the greatest scientific genius in three multiverses," said Washu. "Experiment's coming along nicely I see."
"I'm an experiment?" asked Taylor.
"More or less," said Washu. "You were willing, you were in need, and your world could certainly use saving. Since that multiversal thread is in danger - a method of making you my protege was found and implemented. It's certainly seems to be working out, even if it's just the prologue of your story."
"Scion," said Taylor.
"Yes, or the Warrior Entity," agreed Washu. "Usually I leave the checking in on you to a dedicated Synthetic Adaptive Intelligence, but I'll be checking in personally every so often."
"Why can't you just deal with the danger if you know about it?" asked Taylor.
"Rules, treaties, permissions," said Washu, rolling her eyes. "When you're dealing with a different section of the omniverse there are existing agreements prohibiting meddling directly. Indirectly? Different thing altogether. Now hold still, I have to check your neural net for problems."
"I feel fine," stated Taylor.
"The brain doesn't have pain receptors and plenty of people who feel fine are anything but," Washu indicated. "Huh. Little problem there, but easily fixed."
"And this isn't directly 'meddling'?" asked Taylor.
"No, all I'm doing is checking on an experiment," said Washu. "I'm making notes and leaving documentation to prove that. Okay, that's done. Now a little... oh that's bad. But it's also easily fixed."
"What's bad? What was wrong?" asked Taylor.
"Oh, just a heart problem that was sneaking in. You need more physical exercise. Healthy body, healthier mind and all that," said Washu. "Overdimension pattern steady, soul linkage strong, magic circuits - you need to exercise them a bit more too. Keep them from clogging up. Kind of like arteries in that regard."
"Ah, so I need to fly around and blast things?" asked Taylor.
"No, you're not a parahuman and you don't have anything jabbing your brain saying you need to fight things," said Washu, sounding a little distracted. "Huh, so the Administrator Shard has gone after someone else now that you're not available. Well, not my problem and outside my allowances. Though I am curious. Now, hold still. I need a couple of samples."
"Who was that Other presence?" asked Taylor. "There was you and someone or something else."
"Hmmm? Oh that was Varga. They were just checking in, looking things over. Seal of approval or something. I gave them a Vigilance to play around with."
"A vigilance?"
"Spear of Warning +1. Magic weapon. One of my previous experiments. Anyway, that's it for now. Oh, and you won't remember this except as a vague dream. Rules you know."
"Wait! Don't... what just happened?"
Jarvis spoke up a few moments later. "I am not sure, Doctor. I will have to review things and attempt to make some sort of sense out of them."
"Well, at least I don't have a headache this time."
"I am going to recommend you exercise physically and magically a bit more than you have, Doctor. It appears to be a need you'll need to address."
"Okay. Huh. Mom wasn't keen on the hardsuit, so maybe she can learn some spells. She's better at math than Dad is, so that ought to map over."
"'Magic', Doctor?"
"Magic is just doing something the other guy doesn't know how to do," said Taylor. "Utilizing energy from underlying forces to temporarily overwrite reality. Mostly. I know a couple of systems. Oh, make a note. I can computerize some of this stuff so the higher level equations and variable definitions can be handled by the device. Ought to make things easier for people to pick up on this stuff."
"Added to the queue," stated Jarvis. "Oh, and Doctor. You'll be pleased to note that the rail lines have been repaired and the first shipment of parts of the freighter are on their way to the reprocessing plant."
"Good," said Taylor, happy to focus on something positive. "How's the lack of that ship impacting the local economy?"
"Positively, though slow," was Jarvis' reply. "ForgeTech is currently utilizing some of your ecological recovery devices in the Bay. So far the only problems have been the energy requirements and the repeated attempts at industrial espionage. Oh, and four companies which are currently suing ForgeTech under anti-monopoly laws and unfair hiring practices."
"'Unfair hiring practices'?" asked Taylor. "That doesn't sound like Dad."
"Mainly due to the extensive background checks and screening processes," said Jarvis. "Or so it appears. Would you like me to investigate further?"
"Yeah, just a bit. I don't want the Elite or some of those groups getting involved. We'd get along like a house on fire. Widespread damage, people panicking, that sort of thing."
"True," agreed Jarvis. "Which brings up the latest problem. Or opportunity if you prefer."
"That sounds interesting, what is it?" asked Doctor Curlyhair absently as she checked herself and found that she was another inch taller and had more muscle tone as a result of those additional effects from a Perk. She'd need to make herself some new clothes rather soonish.
A holographic screen popped up in front of her, showing a museum ship before and after images.
"Cape battle four months ago did significant damage to the ship where it was moored. The current plan is to tow it out to sea and sink it."
Taylor/Doctor Curlyhair stared for a few moments. "No way."
"Yes, way. The supervillain in question is at large, having evaded PRT forces. Forceblade, Tinker-3, specialty in shaped force-field weapons systems. Currently on the run."
"It's perfect," declared Taylor. "See if our contacts can arrange to have it brought to a location where the sinking can be faked and I can get ahold of it. Open new project and file under Project Matsumoto. If they need to know what I'm doing with a warship, tell them its a contingency plan. Any further details, I'll need to speak with them directly. Also flag Project Matsumoto as clearance level Magenta and priority level Crimson."
"That high?" said Jarvis, finishing with a sigh. "You really need to get more sleep and exercise your magical abilities as well."
"Meh," said Doctor Curlyhair as she slid her visor down to indicate she was using her heroic identity fully. "I'll build a device that makes it look like it's handling the flight part. Maybe a cape or mechanical wings. Or a harness that puts out holographic wings. Yeah, that last one sounds about right. Then bad guys can shoot at my wings and I can yell at them for shooting at a hologram."
"Perhaps forcefield emitters," suggested Jarvis. "That way you can use your wings to shield yourself and others?"
"Great idea!" enthused Doctor Curlyhair, already planning her next stage hero costume. "Decorative is nice, functional is better, but if I can combine the two? Even better."
"As you say, Doctor."
* April 17, 2008 *
Thursday. Typical day. School taking up way too much of her time, in Taylor's opinion at least.
"What do you mean a problem at Brockton Bay General Hospital?" asked Taylor as the class gawked at the person standing there in the doorway.
Armsmaster nodded. "The Slaughterhouse Nine are holding the entire building hostage and asking you to surrender yourself. Or at least they are identifying themselves as the Slaughterhouse Nine."
"There are doubts?" asked Taylor, getting up after a nod from the teacher.
Armsmaster's strides were long, causing Taylor to hurry a bit to keep up.
"Jack Slash was visible and was identified through recognition software as Tiffani Bangs, a stripper from Northern Colorado with several arrests for prostitution, petty theft, shoplifting, narcotics possession, possession of Tinkertech drugs, and most recently operating a city bus without a proper license. Also having died from an apparent overdose of Tranquility."
"Isn't that one of the products of Mellowmind, a chemical Tinker?" asked Taylor as two Astartes fell in beside her.
"Yes, Mellowmind sells moods on the black market. He hasn't been a high priority before today due to his products being less physically addictive and harmful than the more typical drugs found in such areas," admitted Armsmaster. "After today, he may find himself under a great deal more scrutiny."
"Astartes?" asked Taylor as they drew closer to the PRT transport.
"Snipers are in position with special ordnance," reported the voice of Astartes One. "Current thought is that Slash has some sort of Thinker power in addition to his knife-extension power and reputed Master power."
Armsmaster paused, glancing at the lead Astartes. "I was not aware of either rating."
"Astartes One, the Sisters of Battle and Sisters of Silence?" asked Taylor, as One handed her the visor and then the armored labcoat.
"Three of each, ready for deployment," said Astartes One.
Taylor grinned. "They think they're isolating me so that they have a numeric advantage. I'm not alone."
* Perks This Chapter *
17.38.1-Comic Book Science (600CP)(DC Multiverse - Earth 11)(Intelligence):
You're extremely intelligent, easily one of the smartest people on the planet. You could build a massive company from scratch and revolutionize the sciences if you so choose. Your genius allows you to remember everything you've ever seen in great detail, hold multiple trains of thought at once, pick up new information and master skills very quickly, and build futuristic technology that seems to ignore conventional physics. Intellectually, you rival Lex Luthor and Ms. Terrific.
FREE: Savior's Presence: Heroes are everything we aspire to, the ideal we look up to as the best we can be. You represent that pinnacle, outwardly in your appearance if nothing else. You stand a head taller than those around you, bear defined muscles like an Olympian athlete, and are one of the most attractive people around. When you speak, you do so in a powerful and commanding but gentle and comforting voice, confident and clear so that the people you protect know they're safe. You have a naturally toned body, and find it difficult to lose your shape even without actively training. Getting work as a model would be underselling your appearance, and you do it all with a casual, down-to-earth ease. Either they want to be you, or they want to be with you.
Combinations:
[Medic + Cyber-doc Equipment Package + New Age (X-gene) + Prolong + Bio-Technology + Chrysalis]
Master Bio-systems Technologist (Augmentations): You have the tools and you have the talent. You are the leading expert in this section of the multiverse on how to take a human and upgrade them without loss of their humanity, which puts you well above the Cybermen in that regard. Uplift technology means that you can alter even the species associated with humanity, alter alien species to be able to exist on Earth-like planets, alter humans to survive and even thrive on non-Earth-like planets (within reason) and cure pesky little left over problems that evolution left behind. Turn people into dinosaurs? Hah. You can turn dinosaurs into people, which is a much more difficult thing!
[Omnitool (Mass Effect) + Omni-tool (No Sky's Limit) + Matter Manipulator (Auto-Factory) + Scan (Dimensional Addition or Subtraction)]
Build Gun. An all-in-one tool that can change appearance and function from moment to moment. Allows access to inventory function, scanning of objects, deconstruction and construction of buildings and raw materials. Hooks directly into the Visor. Currently has settings for Vibro-Blade, Freeze Ray, Mining Beam, Terrain Editor, Build From Blueprint, Scatter Gun, Bolter, Taser Bolt, and Intensive Scan.
[Artiste + My Fashion Sense Is Tingling + Excellent Craftsman + Needlework]
Master Artist. While anything you do becomes art, from actual painting through cooking to singing, it is when you are tailoring or designing clothing that it becomes works of art worthy of the gods. From creating and blending the fabrics to the final stitch and button, your clothing is worth sums that could beggar some nations.
[Scientist + Finger of Silver + No Sky's Limit + Grease Monkey + New Age + I am Iron Man + Retro-Engineer + From Q With Love + Deuyivan Construction + Foraker-Hemphill + Excellent Craftsman + Wisdom of the Ancients + Prototype Process + Dimensional Addition and Subtraction]
Ultra Genius Mechanic. You add fields of knowledge and new sciences and mechanics the way some people eat chocolates - very quickly and efficiently and with great enjoyment. In your case, it is building things through your understanding of the sciences involved.
Your specialty, such as it is, is mechanical engineering. From the nanoscale to structures bigger on the inside to structures the size of a moon - if you have the blueprints you can eventually build it. Good for you that you can figure out how to make the blueprints in most cases.
[Gimmee A Tic + Build Rome + Foraker-Hemphill + What's An Engineer]
Built Fast and Built to Last. You build things much faster and much more durable than one would come to expect even with your resources. Current build speed: x32 as long as you're personally involved in the process.
[Hand's Off + Removed From Context]
Can't Touch This: Someone trying to steal your tech, unless it is freely given without restriction? Not going to happen. Someone trying to target you using psionics, magic, or superpowers? They have to find you first. You're not giving anything away in either case. Doesn't protect you from normal activities or information gathering, but you have an extraordinary measure against extraordinary measures. This does, however, protect your inventions unless you're deliberately giving stuff away.
