Superheroes of the Trust Game Thread

[DM_Matt]

Angel looks the assemble color coded Trust members on the eyes, frowns a bit, and says, "So let see if I undersand this."

"Instead of testing recruits in some super duper image... um no, ah.. 'holo?" tank or something, you hand them a... 'live fire?' excercise as their trial. Something you think you have control of, but apparently do not. Why take this approach so frought with risk?"

"Second, you have a team in place to intervene if something goes wrong. And when it goes all to heck, you decied to hold them back, rather than have them help, because they might get killed? In the mean time its apparently okay if we might get killed? And not one person thinks to call us with a message saying anything at all about any of this to us?"

Mr. black answers:
It is not a valid test if you do not think it is real. A valid holotank test would require deception as well, but unlike a holotank test, you beat some real bad guys rather than imaginary ones. I presume heroes would rather the danger be real and the victory over evil real than both the danger and the victory be fake. The surprise nature was to increase the difficulty, not not to a point we thought you couldn't handle. In fact, you spotted the deception and pulled back to plan an attack, planned it, and struck. You performed well, in general.

We did not hold back because we feared casualties. We held back because we did not believe we could succeed, but would also take heavy casualties. Besides, they would have jammed our teleport anyway. We did opt to take advantage of your distraction to get in there anyway, but as I said, we were jammed. And it was probably a good thing. If that supers' illusion accurately depicted his defenses, such that Shooting Star's plasma balls could not harm him, the plasma rifles my team uses wouldn't harm him either. I would have been on my own in there. We could have contacted you, but it would not have helped. Our plan would not have worked any better if you knew you are drawing the enemy away compared to if you did not.

 

[Raylis]

"How do you know if the anti-viral works? Or is this just another test? there is a clear note of anger in Nightweaver's voice, "If it's just a mutation then how were you able to provide an antidote at all? No one has ever been able to get an antidote for mine . o O {Not that'd I'd ever want one even if they did.}

Next you'll be saying vampires exist and you have two in accounting.

 

[DM_Matt]

"How do you know if the anti-viral works? Or is this just another test? there is a clear note of anger in Nightweaver's voice, "If it's just a mutation then how were you able to provide an antidote at all? No one has ever been able to get an antidote for mine . o O {Not that'd I'd ever want one even if they did.}

Next you'll be saying vampires exist and you have two in accounting.

Ms. White cuts in "Nah, vampires make pretty lousy accountants. Leprechauns on the other hand..."

Red answers "Born werewolves are a species created by a mutation that caught on. Thats how all species arise naturally. Born werewolves naturally produce the retrovirus that creates infected werewolves. See, Retrovirii alter DNA. In theory, one could be created that could strip a specific mutant of their powers, but that is extremely difficult. The medication we gave you is not tailored specifically as an antidote to that particular retrovirus. it is a generic anti-retroviral medication that will decrease the odds that you will contract it, even if you were exposed which we think you haven't been. You should be fine, really"

 

[DM_Matt]

Thessaly hunches a bit in her chair, rubbing her temples. When Angel's done, she can't keep quiet anymore.

"Look...I hear that...that maybe it wasn't quite as bad as I thought. Stuff happened that you didn't predict, and things got out of hand. But doesn't it seem like..."

She pauses, trying to find words. "This kind of thing could happen any time! And I know there's risks in trying to be a superhero, and all that...but I think the point is that every time I do my thing with the costume and go outside, I know there's a risk and I accept it. But this time..."

The young witch trails off, her expression changing to one of honest surprise.

"...this time wasn't any different, was it? I mean, sure you lied to us...but once we got there and saw what was going on, we could have left. We could have said...hey, these guys are full of...full of crap. It must be a trap, lets get out of here. But we didn't. We chose this... All those people...Spirit...it was just as much our fault as yours."

Thessaly looks away, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. She looks pale and sick.

Ms. White says, sadly "Honey, really, we're so sorry about how it went down. There are a lot of what ifs, and there is a lot of blame to go around, but ultimately, all we can do is go forward. Control Freak and the other super are still out there planning who knows what. The most important thing right now is to stop them. Of course, Beta Green, there will still be a disciplinary hearing regarding your department's carelessness."

 

[DM_Matt]

Ms. Pink starts talking, too. "The other super we know less about, but we think we know who he is. Hopefully we can find more about him...and Control Freak, in the evidence you've gathered. But you will have the first crack at that.

I believe that the man in question is one Lord John Barrington III. (various info appears on the screen) He a genius with extensive knowledge of science and the occult, and is a freelance religious nutcase of sorts. We are pretty sure he is the same person as Lord John Barrington I and Lord John Barrington II. The first John Barrington, a British noble born in the Mideast to a Persian mother, was an archaeologist and professor of history, who, while excavating some pyramids in Egypt in 1918, claimed to have found evidence that the Egyptian pantheon were in fact real entities from beyond the stars that deserved worship and left behind countless treasures, including the secret to eternal life. No one believed him, but he became a zealous worshipper of the Egyptian gods, and was suspected of being a supervillain who went by the name of Pharaoh's Curse, who specialized in stealing ancient Egyptian artifacts and killing archaeologists, often by enacting various mythical curses on them.

He rarely appeared in public, occasionally publishing screeds about the abuse of "holy" artifacts, but there are no known images of him having gotten any older...his claims about eternal life may have been true.

The next time we have records of him is during World War II. Here is a picture taken at a meeting of the Thule Society, a Nazi occultist group. (a picture appears on your screens) Here he is, next to Hienrich Himmler. Our information is spotty, but he seems to have suddenly turned from a Pharonic zealot to a practitioner of the dark arts of ancient Europe. Rumor has it that he specialized in rituals of human sacrifice, and the Nazis were willing and able to provide numerous victims. if so, he was probably connected to -- or otherwise known as -- the magic-wielding Nazi supervillain Kreiglock

We know nothing of Lord John Barrington II, or at least, what he was doing when he called himself that. Lord John Barrington III, however, somehow managed to join MI-6 after getting his Ph. D in electrical engineering, proving that he was nothing like his "grandfather." Unfortuantely, he was exactly like his "grandfather"

This time, he was a crazy Anglican. He managed to get in despite a past arrest (and acquittal) on charges of beating up a Catholic priest. He set to work battling the IRA, but soon was sent abroad. His personnel file indicates that he was sent to Iran, posing as an engineer on an archeological dig relating to some kind of ancient Zoroastrian settlement, taking advantage this time of his grandfather's reputation in the more superstitious mideast. This is the last picture was have of him, during Iranian Islamic Revolution, participating in the taking of American hostages. We unfortunately know nothing of him since, though for all we know he could have a new masked supervillain identity at this time

Ultimately, we think he's simply all about power. Religion is just his favorite tool to get it. The question is what he is asking for now.

 

[Victim]

"Wait, he was totally immune to my attacks? I didn't catch exactly what happened; it was far away, most of the helicopter was in the way, and my vision was blurry." she asks quickly. He can burn me and I can't do anything! "Maybe the illusion was programmed to show the attack to being wholely negated regardless so it wouldn't have to change the portrayal to show damage. It'd be much easier to set up a generic 'attack negated' image for the holo than to accurately model and track injuries. For a short term diversion used to effect an escape, an accurate rendition of a super's defenses would be a liability anyway."

"Sometimes treatment is only possible in the early stages. Hindering the spread of the virus would probably be easier than reversing any significant changes it induces. Especially since mutations often improve resistance to disease." No cure for me either; now the worst is over anyway, so it wouldn't do any good.

"I think there's some documented evidence of supers fighting a vampire, and it just seems like another infection carrying powers."

"He had some files about the FC Museum; he might be after something there. If the clues weren't red herrings or if he doesn't change his plans because of our efforts."

 

[DM_Matt]

"Wait, he was totally immune to my attacks? I didn't catch exactly what happened; it was far away, most of the helicopter was in the way, and my vision was blurry." she asks quickly. He can burn me and I can't do anything! "Maybe the illusion was programmed to show the attack to being wholely negated regardless so it wouldn't have to change the portrayal to show damage. It'd be much easier to set up a generic 'attack negated' image for the holo than to accurately model and track injuries. For a short term diversion used to effect an escape, an accurate rendition of a super's defenses would be a liability anyway."

Mr. Black says: "All of those things are possible. I hear that you guys captured their hologenerator devices...perhaps you could find more that way."

 

[Necro_Kinder]

Brimstone watches each of the color coded Trust members talk with the rest of the team. He fiddles with his powers, tossing little balls of fire from one hand to the other. He listens as they continue.

 

[Blind Azathoth]

Salix watches and listens to the color-coded Misters and Misses and the other summoned heroes speak. His face reveals nothing--not that anyone here would recognize any facial expression he might have made--and he speaks not at all, but the air around him swirls with a subtly shifting variety of woody and floral scents as his thoughts and moods change, strengthening when anger strikes him and weakening when he doubts himself. Thessaly's words strike the deepest chord within him...

Perhaps...she is right. Perhaps it is not entirely their fault. Well, to be sure, it is not—Spirit herself is partially to blame. And yet...if we had been properly informed of the situation, perhaps she would have made different choices. Perhaps we would have been better prepared. We will not know if that would have been the case, of course, but the idea of putting people into danger simply because they think those being put at risk will be able to handle it speaks of...an arrogance, I suppose. That they decide what information is needed by those they place into the line of fire...

Is it only me? No—despite the words being said, I believe some of the others agree, to some extent. And for me, the idea of sending someone into battle with incomplete intelligence, even as a test, even if it should be an easy test, is... unthinkable. Never in my sixty years there did I hear of such a thing among Calliandrans.

But perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps I shift the blame too much on others for their failure to save her. Perhaps I am as much to blame as everyone else here--for what did I to help? Perhaps it is my nature as an outsider, my upbringing, that colors my prejudices against these people.

Perhaps, despite my anger, I will stay, and listen, and work with them. Perhaps it is so that my desire to help others outweighs my dislike and distaste for those others who could not save her. Or perhaps it is just my selfish desire to be a hero that does. And perhaps I will be able to work past this anger, which may be as unjustified and unfair as I accused these agents of being. May be.

I...

Need to meditate.

But he speaks none of this, except in a language that no one around him can understand, and he continues to listen to those who do speak with words rather than scents.

 

[Victim]

Brimstone watches each of the color coded Trust members talk with the rest of the team. He fiddles with his powers, tossing little balls of fire from one hand to the other. He listens as they continue.

"I think that offensive super powers are a little dangerous to play around with."