Elite: Year One - Issue #1

[Tokiwong]

So this is what he wants to talk about. "It is very strange. I think it would be like finding out you speak a language you have never heard of; one you are very good at. I suppose I don't talk to the electricity, but it is like that. I wish it to do a thing and it does that thing." Jan holds up a hand and spreads two fingers in a V shape. A bright arc of electricity crawls up the space between them and reaching the tips of Jan's fingers, reverses its course. It goes up and down his fingers three times before vanishing.

"I think it is beautiful..." William smiles.

"I suppose it should be hard, but electricity seems easy to please. I only must be careful not to let the current pass out of me or it could harm someone."

"It is easy because it was meant to be easy, I suppose," William counters.

"I am afraid I quite agree with Sidney on the issue. We Czechs are not the most faithful of people and I confess a fondness for Richard Dawkins' writings when it comes to matters of religion," Jan says delicately. "I am only a man. I have no greater insight into these things than any other person. The only purpose my powers had that I am aware of was saving my skin," Jan smiles slightly. "But I like to think that purpose noble enough for my satisfaction!"

William nods sagely, “No offense Jan, I rather appreciate opposite viewpoints. I often consult my Buddhism for Dummies book daily, many of the ideas I find to be a calming influence to the more extreme Christian dogma. But enough about my idiosyncrasies, I have another question if you do not mind indulging my curiosity. Now that you have this power, what will you do with it?”

 

[Mimic]

Todd watches her go and then turns to Sam, “So why the sudden love for the freaks, you know one or something?” he leans dangerously close.

"NNNo... of course not," Sam stutters slightly, involentarily leaning slightly away from Todd.

"Its just... you know how those girls treat me at school just because of my heritage, its not like I had any control over it. Its the same thing with those people, others are calling them freaks and making fun of them over something they didn't have any control over." Sam tells him thinking fast.

 

[Synchronicity]

Christopher Jones

Kelly accepts the excuse and lets Chris on his way. He does notice though that his body is a little more toned then it was, and that he seems to be hungry more often, like he just can’t eat enough to keep him full.

He gets to work to find that he was obviously missed, the boss is on the warpath. He looks at Chris and sighs, “Over an hour late Chris, you can’t do this to me, over an hour late. Do I need to say anything else?” he says with a pointed look.

'Hmm. Interesting. It appears the alterations have increased my metabolic rate. I suppose it does seem a logical extension of the increase in overall speed I've experienced. I'll have to look into this more closely; probably this evening...'

At his boss's words, Chris spreads his hands apologetically. "Look, Mike, I'm sorry. Turns out my alarm clock decided not to work this morning. I know I've taken some time off recently, but I'll get the work caught up, I promise. You know I don't make a habit of this. Listen, I'll work late tonight to get everything back on schedule." 'Though it's going to take me far less time than you'd think...' With that, Chris heads for the labs to begin the days work, leaving the writing of reports until later..when he's alone.

 

[Samnell]

"I think it is beautiful..." William smiles.

Jan shrugs, "You think so? I'm very used to it. With more power it can be uncomfortably bright and make a very loud roar."

"It is easy because it was meant to be easy, I suppose," William counters.

"Or is it only that I remember what little I learned about electricity as a boy and that is all it needs? Jan holds up his fingers again and twiddles the right one. "This is positive," he twiddles the left. "And this negative. Leaving only the one path between them, the current naturally arcs. The physicists are still working on how I only leave the one path without changing my chemical composition. But all of our quarks are charged. We always have current running through them. It is just very small. I think that I change that the same way one modulates the voice."

William nods sagely, “No offense Jan, I rather appreciate opposite viewpoints. I often consult my Buddhism for Dummies book daily, many of the ideas I find to be a calming influence to the more extreme Christian dogma. But enough about my idiosyncrasies, I have another question if you do not mind indulging my curiosity. Now that you have this power, what will you do with it?”

Jan leaned back. People kept asking that. Wasn't it obvious? "I will finish my dissertation on Charlemagne's foreign affairs. I have a research trip to Aachen planned for the next summer, and I may have a go at Rome but I'm not sure what I would find there that Oxford does not already have copies of for the period. Fires and the Avignon Papacy took their toll, you know."

Jan paused, knowing he hadn't really answered William's question, "But that is not what you intended," he smiled. "My loftiest plans for what I suppose are my powers involve advancing science by assenting to their study and not causing harm to others with them. I am an historian and my chief aspiration is a Professorship."

 

[Mordane76]

"Möglicherweise hat er wirklich Krebs und stirbt. Würfel alleine und erschrocken und dann ich können glücklich sein," Frida comments idly at Fran's statement about her father.

Also? Ein Amerikaner, sagst du? Nicht ist kostbares das gerade. Er ist nichts wie Vater jetzt, aber wir sehen in einige Jahre," she says, taking a survey of her glass. "Wie bin ich? Mein Glas ist, das ist leer, wie ich bin," she says jokingly, as she starts pouring another glass. "Ich hatte gerade ein neues wenig Pensum im Krankenhaus, und mein Geschäft hat wenig unter meinen Erholungszeit gelitten, aber es ist nichts, das ich nicht anfassen kann," she says, dismissing her own condition.

Translation:
1. Maybe he'll have cancer and die. Die alone and scared and then I can be happy.
2. Oh? An American, you say? Isn't that precious. He's not like father now, but we'll see in a few years.
3. How am I? My glass is empty, that's how I am.
4. I had a short stay in the hospital, and my business has suffered a little during my convalescence, but it's nothing I can't handle.

 

[Rybaer]

Gordon races back and forth across the racquetball court, as David once again puts the hurt on Gordon. During a brief break after the fourth game, David sits against the wall with a sigh, “Super powers,” he mutters, “I don’t get it. I mean, all my career I have studied the laws of reality, and these super powers totally throw all of my work on its ear. I mean…” he smirks, “These powers could put me out of a job.”

“But… well that sort of ties into the grant we received,” he finishes softly.

Gordon bends over, hands on knees and breathing heavily. He looks up at David's last statement.

"Oh?" he says. "Do tell. How does a physics research grant tie in with superpowers?"



(ooc- apologies for the delay in replying...went out of town unexpectedly while the boards were still down.)

 

[Tokiwong]

Gordon bends over, hands on knees and breathing heavily. He looks up at David's last statement.

"Oh?" he says. "Do tell. How does a physics research grant tie in with superpowers?"

“Well Dr. Stockov, is putting together a team for the United nations to investigate this “super power” phenomenon, and I got us a ticket on that team. Course we may have to put aside our current work, but I smell some awards and definite breakthroughs on this,” he replies.

He sighs, “It is a shame though, I was really thinking we were making some headway, those last tests you were doing were… they were on the right rack, I think. But we have to think of this as a spring board. Although we may have to relocate…”

Frida Freling

Fran sighs into the phone, “Can you ever just let that go…”

Fran listens, “Alright, well I have to go, you take care and I hope your business picks up,” she replies in German before hanging up. Thankfully that couple seems to have stopped, or at least taken a break.

Just as Frida tries to relax is when she hears a frightful scream…

Christopher Jones

“Alright, then I will just chalk this up to bad luck,” Mike replies with a sigh.

“Oh and you have a visit from a persistent woman, she has been waiting since you were supposed to arrive, says her name is Vera Lopez and she represents BioGen; I hope she hasn’t come to snatch you away from us,” Mike adds with no show of mirth.

Jan Sverak

William listens with a nod, “Well that is absolutely admirable.”

Sidney interjects before William can continue, “I think that is enough for this evening lest we spend the whole of the evening lost in debate.”

William nods, “Of course cousin.” With that Jan and Sidney get to work on hashing out some details on a book that Sidney intends to write on various archeological sites around Europe.

At about one in the morning he finds himself making his way back to his home. When he arrives there are two messages waiting for him on his voicemail/answering machine…

The first is from his father, the second is from a Dr. Hudabo.

Samantha Clayton

“Relax Sam, we are like friends right? I mean better friends then I could ever be with Jennifer, she just doesn’t get me anymore you know?” he gives her a sad, frustrated look.

“Well you know I don’t mind your heritage, I like it. Lets not talk about them freaks, I mean, I guess I just wanted to ask you, I mean, I think I want to break up Jennifer, but I am just not sure how,” he says still looking confused.

 

[Calinon]

Charles smiles, “We like to think of it as a bonus. Now you will not be allowed to disclose the exact amount of money the JTFA will be paying you, but you can say it is commensurate to your abilities.”

“What do you want for your brother, you name it, and we can try and make it happen,” Charles replies as he hits a number in his phone. He pauses for a moment, “Super Soldier is in, call off Strike Team Alpha and Bravo, tell Prodigy she can relax now.”

He puts the phone away, “As I was saying, about your brother?”

"Uhh..." Jason says, feeling more than a little queesy about strike teams and being called a 'super soldier.' "Yeah, uh... just uh... not back with my parents. Maybe I can get a few days to... you actually had freakin' strike teams!?" he says, looking at the Major like he'd lost his mind. "I'm not some threat to America for crying out loud! I'm a construction worker! Look out, he might build something!"

He took a few breaths to try to compose himself. It didn't help too much.

"Look, I just don't want my kid brother stuck back with my drunk parents or shoved into some foster system or anything. Ok? Swing that. And I gotta talk to him about this, and tell Mr. Maynard, so I need a few days here." While he'd wanted to sound demanding, he doubted that's how it came out. Confidence wasn't exactly high on his list at this particular moment.

"Super-soldier... Prodigy... I've been written into a comic book," he mumbles to himself, pressing the heel of his hand into his forehead with a sigh.

OOC: Heh, missed your post before. Le woops.

 

[Tokiwong]

"Uhh..." Jason says, feeling more than a little queesy about strike teams and being called a 'super soldier.' "Yeah, uh... just uh... not back with my parents. Maybe I can get a few days to... you actually had freakin' strike teams!?" he says, looking at the Major like he'd lost his mind. "I'm not some threat to America for crying out loud! I'm a construction worker! Look out, he might build something!"

Charles cracks a wry smile, “Well if you had refused to volunteer then you would have been reactivated, and if you did not react in a way that I felt was agreeable we would have taken you in forcibly. Standard ops when dealing with… well lets not get in to that.”

"Look, I just don't want my kid brother stuck back with my drunk parents or shoved into some foster system or anything. Ok? Swing that. And I gotta talk to him about this, and tell Mr. Maynard, so I need a few days here." While he'd wanted to sound demanding, he doubted that's how it came out. Confidence wasn't exactly high on his list at this particular moment.

"You have 72 hours to get your affairs in order," Charles replies, "as far as your brother is concerned, does he need a guardian? One can be provided in your absence, along with a stable home environment, and anonymity if required," Charles answers.

"Super-soldier... Prodigy... I've been written into a comic book," he mumbles to himself, pressing the heel of his hand into his forehead with a sigh.

Charles just smiles.

 

[Calinon]

"72 hours. Go me," Jason says with feigned enthusiasm. "My brother is only 16 years old. Of course he needs a guardian. This is going to be so fun to explain to him," he says getting up and pacing a moment. "Hah, who am I kidding. He'll think this is "way cool" or something," he says with a wry grin.

Jason looks across the worksight to the main operations trailer. "Well, my boss is here; that's his truck. Guess I can go tell they guy that's been paying for my engineering degree that I can't work for him anymore," he says without any enthusiasm whatsoever. He stands there for a good minute.

"The air strike is sounding like a better and better option," he grumbles, but heads off towards the trailer.