Transcendence Now - Issue #1

MaKenzie Wolf:

A familiar voice floated from the speakers, "This is the very last treatment, after today, you'll be a free woman." Calm, reassuring, soothing-Angel's voice.

"These last couple of weeks have been hard on everyone, after everyone in my group got the first inkling of powers they wanted to get out and test them. Those scientists do what they do for a reason, though, these tests make it safer for you. It'll only last a couple of more minutes...after that I'm not sure when I'll get to talk to you again. I just wanted to say that its been heart warming to see you regain your strength, both physically and mentally and I hope that you manage to do some real good out there. Do you have any plans when you get outside?"

As entrancing as Angel's voice was, MaKenzie could still notice two technicians darting around, their features undiscernable behind their pale-colored containment suits as they fixed the room up. Occasionally they would connect or reconnect wires from the chair MaKenzie was in to others machines scattered about. The walls themselves glowed a light red and hummed, but very little of this was distracting after going through the whole song and dance for three months. Still, the hour long process went by more quickly whenever Angel was around. To think, that this would all be over in a day.


Lukas Clausewitz:

"I'm so glad that this is all going to be over with." Felicia said, idly poking at the remaining scraps of food on her lunch tray with her fork. "When I get out, I think I'm going to order an extra large pizza. Really, Lukas, there's nothing like a Chicago deep-dish pizza, if you're ever in the neighborhood you'll have to give me a call. I know this family-operated restaurant that's fantastic." She smiled at him, the same type of saddened smile that would be given to a departing friend.

Normally a woman you had to direct specific questions to get a conversation out of, Felicia was being much more talkative than usual today. She also seemed to show some concern this past week for both you and MaKenzie, although she had yet to voice what exactly has been worrying her.

"After that, I don't know, I might want to do some traveling. I had some friends back at the office I worked at, but after being gone for so long I'm not sure how they'd react to me. In a way it's scary, not having much to go back to...on the other hand, the possibilities that have opened up are exciting. I must admit though, I'm still somewhat jealous of your powers, they're much more flashy than anything I could do-if a bit strange."

Felicia paused a moment, looking indecisive before continuing, "From how I've heard you describe it, they make you look like a villain. I mean, I know for a fact that you're a good man but...well, its kind of scary to hear about at first to be honest. How do you imagine people will react to it?"

Makenzie smiled at Angel's words, she still couldn't really believe that she actually had the power to cure people's wounds, or that she could walk again. A lot of people took the ability to move freely for granted, and it really wasn't. The ability to move about as you wanted was a true gift and to have that back was worth a few months of discomfort, even if she hadn't really believed when she had signed up for the program, it had just been somewhere to go, a clear direction that she could actually go.

"Its more then ok Angel, I really don't mind this stuff, it beats the alternative." the girl said, shifting slightly on the table so that her hair lay flat. Originally, before that performance her hair had been pretty short, and entirely purple, but since going into the hospital she hadn't re-dyed it leaving her naturally black hair to come in with purple highlights and a stripe of purple along the bottom.

"Oh yes, I do have a plan." the teen says grinning predatorially, much like her namesake. "Not quite sure what I'll do with my power, but I do have a plan for the rest of it." and she did have a plan, but she doubted tha it'd be something that Angel would approve of. Actually, it wasn't very fleshed out. She wanted to track down te asswhole who had caused her injury, the guy that had killed her entire family, and make him pay. First she was going to track him down, and find out what business he had going, and then she was going to stop it, she was going to hurt his operation, shutting everything down little by little until he was ready to scream because everything was going wrong and then she'd go after him. She'd make him hurt just as much as he had hurt her.

Sollir Furryfoot said:

"I'm so glad that this is all going to be over with." Felicia said, idly poking at the remaining scraps of food on her lunch tray with her fork. "When I get out, I think I'm going to order an extra large pizza. Really, Lukas, there's nothing like a Chicago deep-dish pizza, if you're ever in the neighborhood you'll have to give me a call. I know this family-operated restaurant that's fantastic." She smiled at him, the same type of saddened smile that would be given to a departing friend.

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"If you're ever in Germany I'll take you over the border to Italy. You should try the pizzas there," Lukas replied, "However, I have been pondering spending some time here until I'm comfortable with the stability of my powers. I had received a number of job offers from universities around the place. If an offer for a job nearby still stands I'd like to stay so that they can keep an eye on me, for a while."

Sollir Furryfoot said:

"After that, I don't know, I might want to do some traveling. I had some friends back at the office I worked at, but after being gone for so long I'm not sure how they'd react to me. In a way it's scary, not having much to go back to...on the other hand, the possibilities that have opened up are exciting. I must admit though, I'm still somewhat jealous of your powers, they're much more flashy than anything I could do-if a bit strange."

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Lukas smiled, "If you wish to travel and swing by Europe, my door is always open, assuming I'm there mind you."

Sollir Furryfoot said:

Felicia paused a moment, looking indecisive before continuing, "From how I've heard you describe it, they make you look like a villain. I mean, I know for a fact that you're a good man but...well, its kind of scary to hear about at first to be honest. How do you imagine people will react to it?"

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"You're too kind, Felicia. I assume it depends on where I use them. I may refrain from using them in an open venue, it's better that the general populace not assume me to be some kind of villain. However I'd like to do some research of my own on my powers, their nature intrigues me. In a research setting with learned colleagues I would have little to worry about. Your average mob of morbidly curious lookers-on however would be predictably less understanding."

Lukas looked down at his hand, and it flickered with small arcs of negative energy for a few moments, giving off a quiet but unsettling sound as it did.

"Many questions. On the positive side I am for the most part free to do what I will, powers or no, my familial ties are few and my interests many. But I can only assume the world has little need for superheroes until we see supervillains. Heh, and if those supervillains happen to be former colleagues we'll have no small amount of difficulty using our powers on them," Lukas says, and begins to ponder the motivations for giving people powers, and why they can't use them on each other.

MaKenzie Wolf:

"From what I've learned so far, our exact abilities are sparked from some innermost part of ourselves. For you to heal, you must be a very kind person on the inside, I'm sure you'll find some use for your powers out there." Conveniently or unintentionally, Angel didn't press the subject about what MaKenzie would do on the outside. Going by her voice though, it sounded like she didn't want to pry too much into the other girl's personal life.

The technicians moved about the room some more, fiddling with their machines as usual. "Just five more minutes." Angel assures MaKenzie.


Lukas Clausewitz:

"All this time I've talked to you, you've made Europe sound so fascinating. I am definately planning on going there when I have some free time. And yes, I would definately take you up on that offer, assuming I could reciprocate and show you around Chicago sometime as well." Felicia responds to Lukas' initial statements. Her face conveys her mild shock at Lukas' timid display of power. Typically the facility doesn't appreciate such actions though even they have been more lax about that now that the end of the program is near.

"Yeah, I'm not certain how the public will take us. I don't think that they would be prejudiced against us, but I would empathize with them if they were afraid. And I also would like to learn more about my powers, assuming what they tell us is true and that we'll be able to develope ours much further. I find the notion empowering."

"As to whether super-people would ever show up, I can't know. I mean, we're regular people, or at least human beings. I don't think any of us, not even the Carmichaels, are crazy, power hungry people. I never really understood the viewpoint of those comic supervillains anyhow."


Joshua Lucas Trevin:

"Your move."

You, of course, knew it was your move already, seeing as its been your turn for a good half-minute. Will was just being smug, of course in his joking, good-natured way. And he didn't mention it because you weren't paying attention, the spot this kid put you in left you several options, but most of these so called options (as you so perfectly recall) led to dead ends. For a while, your perfect memory had allowed you to eventually catch up to Will's tactics, and for the first time, the teen admitted, he had to really work on varying up his tactics. After the change however it was almost ridiculous, before you could maybe win one out of every three or four matches, but since then you haven't won once. The saying, "five moves ahead" was an understatement for your friend, you imagined he must have had the whole game mapped out just after the opening four or five moves.

In retrospect, the tone Will used when playing was more impatient than usual, more hurried and annoyed. This would probably be the last chess game you two would play for a while, seeing as after today you would both be free from the program. They had already packed your keyboard and violin for safe shipping.

Three months. And very little has changed since the past two. Leo was skulking in the corner of the room, glancing you occasionally while Miranda was probably lying down in her room. You notice Will looking at you now, attempting to read your expression. It was a new and fairly accurate habit of his he's acquired since developing his powers. After a moment, he speaks, "Exciting, isn't it?"


Joe Vaughn:

"Look at those two, I can't believe they can concentrate day in and day out over a couple of plastic pieces on some dinky little checkerboard." Leo was being more verboise than usual, which usually meant he was either angry or happy, though truthfully both emotional states strongly resembled each other with him. He was perhaps the person most affected by the confined nature of the facility you all were kept in, and for some reason or another he latched on to you. Usually though, he was much less talkative, but to some extent it's understandable that today of all days would be the one where he was more extroverted.

"I don't think I'd mind it if I never saw white walls like these again. A breath of fresh clean air, some beer*, pretty women, Joe man, I can't wait to get outta here. Maybe I can find a good fighter, some karate-punk or whatever to test these powers on. I mean, no offense, you're a cool guy and all but it sucks that we aren't able to use our powers on each other." He tosses a meaningful glare at Josh, leaving his gaze just long enough for the other man to notice before looking away and continuing, "It would make fighting a lot more interesting, although hopefully not too easy." he exlcaims full of self confidence, now wearing a grin.

Indeed, it seemed like this was one of his happier moods.


*alcoholic beverages weren't permitted within the facility

He really is the king. Josh ignored Leo and Miranda, studying the board carefully. Four times his mind reached out and stopped short of the pieces. Will certainly noticed the twitch of his fingers. It probably made for part of the fun. Josh didn't mind.

His clothes got to him agian and Josh shifted uneasily. This used to be comfortable, he thought of his black trousers and dark blue shirt. Going to have to find something else to wear.

After a moment, he speaks, "Exciting, isn't it?"

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"Our getting loose? I should think so but I shall miss my regular drubbings," Josh agreed good-naturedly. "You're for the military still? Going to be the teenaged Clausewitz?" He'd listened to Will go on and on about soldiers and battles, but still had trouble seeing him in uniform. Josh appreciated the complexities of military history, but taking part?

"Guess I should end your waiting," Josh gestured with the first two fingers on his right hand and his knight did an airy flip into its new position. He smiled, aware that he probably just lost himself the game.

Sollir Furryfoot said:

"All this time I've talked to you, you've made Europe sound so fascinating. I am definately planning on going there when I have some free time. And yes, I would definately take you up on that offer, assuming I could reciprocate and show you around Chicago sometime as well." Felicia responds to Lukas' initial statements. Her face conveys her mild shock at Lukas' timid display of power. Typically the facility doesn't appreciate such actions though even they have been more lax about that now that the end of the program is near.

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"That would be nice, I'd enjoy that," Lukas appreciated the offer.

He glanced around, slightly relieved to have not been reprimanded over the small use of power.

Sollir Furryfoot said:

"Yeah, I'm not certain how the public will take us. I don't think that they would be prejudiced against us, but I would empathize with them if they were afraid. And I also would like to learn more about my powers, assuming what they tell us is true and that we'll be able to develope ours much further. I find the notion empowering."

"As to whether super-people would ever show up, I can't know. I mean, we're regular people, or at least human beings. I don't think any of us, not even the Carmichaels, are crazy, power hungry people. I never really understood the viewpoint of those comic supervillains anyhow."

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"You're right, the odds are slim. I wonder what purpose the powers serve then? I hypothesize some wealthy and intelligent individual discovered how to give people powers, then thought it would be amusing and worth their time to find some ideal individuals, give them powers, and set them loose. No purpose to it, just wanting to see what they do," Lukas played with ideas.

Makenzie laughs at Angel's conjecture that everyone got the powers that they were suited for, at least on a subconscious level. "Right, like I'm suppoused to be some angle of Mercy or something healing everyone? It tires me out if I do it too much, and I can't even heal the wounds that I want to heal the most." Makenzie replies a little bitterly, thinking about her borther and her parents, wishing for the umpteenth time that she'd be able to heal tem, but she couldn't, she couldn't heal the dead, they had done one experiment, trying to get her to a heal a labrat that had died in front of her, but even a few seconds was too long, it was like there was a solid physical wall and she couldn't heal those on the other side of it, no matter what.

On the positive side, she had been able to heal the few minor injuries she had been presented with, but its not like there was a large supply of wounded people at the project to use her powers on, so she really didn't know the extent of what she could do, and she highly doubted they would let her just walk into a hospital and try her powers out on the patients, they'd probably think she was nuts and send her to the psyche ward or something.

"Just five more minutes."

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"Not like I have anywhere to go," the teen joked half-heartedly. 3 months was a long time, but as it drew to a close, and the days til it was over grew fewer and fewer the prospect of being out had become more and more overwhelming.

Joshua Lucas Trevin:

"You're too kind." Will responded to Josh's comparison before smirking at his opponent moving the piece with his mind. He paused for a fraction of a moment before shifting his own piece, almost idly. "Check." He was on the offensive for the second time this game, and if you didn't pull off something spectacular the game might conclude soon. You still had some options remaining yourself, and might actually scrap up a victory this game if you could get off the defensive.

"Yeah, the military seems to me the best bet, you really should consider it, y'know. Depending on just how powerful the few of us with more obvious abilities get, the more public backlash we might suffer. Joining up with the military voluntarily before we're in any type of position to be forced to do so sounds like a safer bet."

"Besides, with my brilliant tactical mind," Will declared somewhat sarcastically, "I imagine the military would offer a suitable position for me. Now, the real question I suppose would be which military would be the most beneficial..." he says, trailing off.

Sollir Furryfoot said:

"You're too kind." Will responded to Josh's comparison before smirking at his opponent moving the piece with his mind. He paused for a fraction of a moment before shifting his own piece, almost idly. "Check."

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If there's a way out of this, damned if I can see it. Josh considered the board for a few moments.

"Yeah, the military seems to me the best bet, you really should consider it, y'know. Depending on just how powerful the few of us with more obvious abilities get, the more public backlash we might suffer. Joining up with the military voluntarily before we're in any type of position to be forced to do so sounds like a safer bet."

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"You really think so? I'm not opposed on principle, but I do mislike the notion of being forced to it. They might have some trouble physically with conscripting me, but of course it could complicate my life. The military..." Josh pictured himself in a British Army uniform. It had a kind of fascination that worried him more than a bit. Can I really be a soldier? Should I? What would they do with me? Certainly not polishing boots or cleaning the loo. Sandhurst? And I'll end up dead somewhere like Wilfred Owen with a violin, so why aren't I done with the idea already?

"Besides, with my brilliant tactical mind," Will declared somewhat sarcastically, "I imagine the military would offer a suitable position for me. Now, the real question I suppose would be which military would be the most beneficial..." he says, trailing off.

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Josh smiled, happy to be distracted from the odd image of himself that refused to leave his mind. "The Americans have the money, of course," Josh opined, dismissive of his native land. "But you must keep in touch, whatever the choice. I wouldn't want to take your advice and then discover you working for the other side."

With an almost lazy gesture, Josh moved a pawn to protect another and shore up the defense around his remaining bishop. It rotated around its axis as it settled into place.

"Suppose they'd have to treat us well? Not too expendable, are we?"

Leo said:

"Look at those two, I can't believe they can concentrate day in and day out over a couple of plastic pieces on some dinky little checkerboard."

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"Yeah, I can handle about one game of chess every year," Joe says. "Just enough to remind me that I'm not too good at planning out a strategy more than a turn or two in advance. I'd cut those two a little slack, though. Were I ever in a battle, you're the kind of guy I'd like to have fighting at my side...but I'd want someone like those guys sitting in back and watching the big picture develop."

Leo said:

"I don't think I'd mind it if I never saw white walls like these again. A breath of fresh clean air, some beer*, pretty women, Joe man, I can't wait to get outta here. Maybe I can find a good fighter, some karate-punk or whatever to test these powers on. I mean, no offense, you're a cool guy and all but it sucks that we aren't able to use our powers on each other."

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"No offense taken," Joe says. He gets a little uncomfortable when Leo starts talking this way. Leo seems like the kind of guy who's just looking for a fight, looking to prove he's better than the next man. Joe never felt that way, never felt he had to prove anything to anyone...except maybe to Susan.

Joe suddenly wondered what it was in Leo's past that drove him this way. A father who always berated Leo for never being good enough? Abuse? He wondered, but would never ask.

"Well, I'm definitely with you on the beer," Joe says. "Not sure what I'm going to do, though. Picking fights hardly seems fair when most people could break a few bones just trying to punch me. Nah, I think I might do a little traveling. Maybe see if I can find a good way to use my new abilities."