IST San Angelo

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

I'm beginning to think I should've dropped Voltron and kept Paladin, a modern woman that was armed and like and had the powers of a D&D paladin and rode a white pegasus. It would be easy to make this change. Just have Voltron transfer out and Paladin transfer back in.

A harder change might be returning Spirit Cat to her roots, a highly-skilled ninja with mystical powers whose adopted older sister, a somewhat less-skilled ninja, was the embassy's electronics engineer and their mother was the embassy's head nurse. There might be a way to do that, maybe transfer April, Keiko, Mariko, and Midori to Japan and bring the new people in the same time Paladin returns and Voltron leaves.

Hopefully, we'll return to our story shortly.

Now, if the Guardians and the (mystical) Powers That Be (known to The Charmed Ones as The Elders) behave themselves, the gate world will still be fine. If they don't I'm stuck with creating a new gateway world, again.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

"We're loosing Warder to IST Washington, D.C., Christine." Sir John said as they sat in his office.

"I know, Sir John," Christine said. "Fortunately, Paladin's coming back."

"I read the report, too," he said. "Since her amulet was shattered during a combat, she can't change back to her civilian identity and her pegasus can't go back to whatever space he lives in."

"Where will he live now?" Christine asked.

"I don't know," Sir John replied. "I guess we'll have to build a stall on the roof."

"That'll be something," Christine said as Carol, Sir John's legally-blind secretary came in. As usual, Ginger, her German shepard guide dog was at her side.

"I have the files you wanted, Sir John," Carol said, handing them to him. "Oh, Warder's gate has closed, again."

"And since she's gone, she can't open a new one for us," he said.

"Yeah," she responded. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"You're welcome." She then said, "Back to my desk, Ginger." As the dog guided her mistress through the turn, Carol said, "Good girl, Ginger."

"Lady Arcane will be joining us." Sir John said, looking through a folder. "She'd Doctor Arcane's student and will be living in his mansion. According to this, her familiar is a Western Screech Owl named Amber."

"Nice," Christine said. "Anyone else?"

"Yes. Shadowcat, a ninja, will be joining the team. Aki Tanaka, R.N. will be joining our nursing staff and her adoptive daughter, Mariko, will be our new electronics engineer. According to this, she races in the same SCCA class April did."

"Another Lamborghini driver?" Christine asked.

"No, a Calloway twin-turbo assist ram-air Corvette," Sir John replied.

(note, information on Carol's condition can be found at http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20021031.html.)

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

"Do you have a minute to talk, Carol?" Christine asked as she entered from Sir John's office.

"Sure," Carol replied. "Have a seat."

"Thank you, I will," Christine said as she sat. "Hopefully, you won't find my question rude. What's the difference between legally blind and completely blind?"

"You're not being rude," Carol replied. "You're curious. That's good. Someone that's legally blind has vision worse than 20/200 that can not be improved with corrective lenses or has a visual field of less that 20 degrees in diameter. My vision is 20/225. I can see things only if they're less than two feet from me. When I'm walking, I can't see my knees, much less the sidewalk. Ginger's a lifesaver, and a good partner."

"I'm sure she is," Christine said. "Have you ever wondered how I got into my line of work?"

"As I understand it, you were going to be a swallow, until one of your team mates got hurt and you wound up as the cat burglar," Carol said.

"Yeah," Christine said. "I spent a year doing black bag jobs for the CIA until some disgruntled former agency executive talked to the Senate. The Intelligence Oversight Committee forced the agency to shut down my section. I guess I could've used my skills and become a rwal cat burglar, but I liked working for the good guys. The U.N. made me an offer, and I accepted it. The rest is history."

"Was Kinsey on the Senate Intelligence Oversight Committee then?"

"I think he was, Carol," Christine replied.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

"Oh, what are those?" Christine asked, pointing to a pair of glasses on Carol's desk.

"Non-perscription reading glasses," Carol replied. "They're three-power magnifying glasses in a metal frame. Good only for close-up work."

"I see," Christine said.

A tall blonde woman, wearing a strapless white evening pantsuit and opera-length black gloves, walked in and said, "Good afternoon. I'm Lady Arcane. I was told to report to Sir John today."

"One moment," Carol said. She touched a button on her intercom and said, "Sir John, Lady Arcane's here."

"Thank you," he said. "Please send her in."

"Go on in," Carol said.

"Thank you," Lady Arcane said. As she passed Carol's desk, she added, "That's a beautiful dog."

"I think so, too,' Carol said, reaching down to pet Ginger.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Arcane," Sir John said.

"Likewise," the blonde sorceress said as they shook hands.

"Please sit." When she did, Sir John asked, "Have you got yourself settled in yet?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good. Here's something that might interest you. When Warder was here, she linked us twice, via gates, to pocket worlds. Unfortunately, the gates didn't stay open."

"The Guardians have a strange sense of humor," Lady Arcane said. "Doctor Arcane's fastness, orsanctum, is connected to a nexus dimension. There are doors to small pocket worlds, that consist of only a few buildings, there. I've only explored two. One opens into a room filled with empty clothes racks. The other opens onto a short hall. At the halfway point is a black and gold section of caution tape. Beyond it, the floor angles down at 45 degrees. A gateway to the inferno dimension it at the bottom of the ramp."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Lady Arcane's familiar, Amber the owl, has been posted for review on this board.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

A few quick notes.

Diana Thompson, R.N., a lieutenant in the air force nurse corps and the SGC's head nurse, was promoted to captain by the President.

SGC nurses wear the regular army/air force nurses uniform, not scrubs.

Due to allergies to proteins in natural rubber latex, both the SGC and Ross Brothers Circus have replaced latex gloves with nitrile ones.

Before being taken to a cell, Mr. Kinsey was taken to the infirmary for X-rays. For safety, both he and the President were placed on back boards and neck braces were strapped on.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

A few more quick notes.

Captain Bethany Fields isn't SG-2's linguist. She's their cultural/lingual expert. She has a masters in anthropology and speaks Ancient Egyptian, Goa'uld, Hebrew, and Arabic.

In this universe, Dr. Janet Fraiser is still alive and has just returned to work after being on medical leave for the staff blast that nearly killed her. Janet's lover, Dr. Daniel Jackson, has just moved in with her and her daughter, Cassandra.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

That afternoon, after getting permission to have a stall built for Paladin's pegasus, Brightwind on the roof, Paladin herself showed up and was quickly invited in.

"Elaine, you look well," Sir John said. "How was your trip?"

"Interesting," she said. "I've decided to tell my associates the truth about my background and not use the cover the United Nations created for me."

"Did the shattering of your amulet have anything to do with that decision?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"I'll make the arrangements," Sir John said. "Oh, we're having a stable for Brightwind installed on the roof."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

 

note: You'll find out Paladin's secret soon enough, meanwhile, have a look at Brightwind's character sheet. It's posted for review on this board.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Aki, Mariko, and Shadowcat were the next three to show up at Sir John's office and present their documents. Aki, a slender Japanese woman with shoulder-length black hair, had on a white uniform and cap. Mariko, dispite her Japanese name and accent, was an athletic-looking redhead, and Shadowcat was in her costume, a black ninja nightsuit that included gloves.

Remembering that Mariko and Aki had been in the country for one month, Sir John asked, "How was your trip, Shadowcat?" once the formalities were over.

"It was relaxing," Shadowcat replied, with no trace of accent.

"We've had a mystical gate here twice," Sir John said. "Both times we lost it. Lady Arcane, our new sorceress, tells me that The Guardians, the extradimentional race that helped create it have a strange sense of humor. She then offerred us a link to a nexts dimention that also connects to the house she and her mentor, Doctor Arcane, live in. Christine Hunter, our intelligence agent, who knows a lot about B&E, is going to investigate it once the gateway's set. Would you like to join her, Shadowcat?"

"Sounds like fun," the female ninja replied. "When and where do I meet her?"

"I'll give you that information as soon as I get it," Sir John replied.

"Fair enough," Shadowcat said, pulling her mask off, revealing a beautiful Japanese woman "Oh," she said. "The three of us are related."

"Our mothers are sisters," Aki explained.

"Oh,' Sir John said.

"It's even more interesting," Mariko said. "I was born in Kyoto to American parents. After my mother, who was very ill when I was born, died, father, a businessman, didn't think he could keep me. I was adopted by her nurse."

"Me," Aki said. "The American embassy was notified, they were to inform the U.S. State Department, who was to notify Mariko's family living there. They didn't."

"I discovered that I had American relatives when they came to watch their daughter compete in a gymnastics meet that I was also in," Mariko said. "They made arrangements for me to stay with them for my senior year in high school. After that, I returned to Kyoto, where I got my masters in electronics engineering. After that, I joined the IST as an electronics engineer at the Tokyo embassy."

"I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania," Shadowcat said. "Mariko and I met at IST Tokyo. We compared notes and discovered that we were related."

"I joined the IST just after Mariko did," Aki added. "My first assignment also was the Tokyo embassy."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

"How was the month of leave you and Mariko had, Aki?" Sir John asked.

"Hectic," she replied. "After finding out, last week, that Mariko and I were to be transferred here, we leased an apartment in the building across the street before returning to Japan to get our belongings. Once that was done, Mariko and I met the local Sports Car Club of America regionel director and presented our paperwork for inspection."

"My Corvette and safety gear were inspected and approved, then I had show my skills on the track. They decided to use Sacramento Motor Speedway for the test. It's a nice track."

"I see," Sir John said. "Ladies, we're having a meeting, in one hour, in the conference room. You might find it interesting."

"We'll be there," Aki said. "I must check in at the medical office."

"And I have to visit my new electronics laboratory," Mariko said.

One hour later, the supers and some of the staffers met in the conference room. "Paladin, the floor is yours," Sir John said.

"Thank you, Sir John." she said, going to the front of the room. "Most of you know me as either Elaine of Waterdeep, a paladin from that D&D city, or Elaine Waters, the alias the United Nations created for me. The truth is this. I'm Elaine Kinsey, Vice President Kinsey's daughter. If I'd been at the SGC when father assaulted the President, SG-1 and General Hammond wouldn't have been able to bounce him off the wall. I'd have beat them to it."

"You'd have decked your own father?" Shadowcat asked.

"Yep," Paladin replied.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Thirty minutes later, Christine caught up with Shadowcat in the gymnasium. Although both now wore exersize garb, Christine still wore gloves. "Good afternoon, Shadowcat."

"I prefer Keiko, when I'm out of costume," shadowcat said, continuing her workout. "What can I do for you?"

"You up to discussing our plans for tonight's adventure?" Christine asked.

"After our workout?" Keiko asked.

"No problem."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

As they worked out, Sir John entered the room. After looking around, he handed Christine a sheet of paper. "I've been transferred to New York City," she said after reading it. "Any idea who will replace me?"

"Yes," he replied. "April Carter, formerly of our London embassy.

"I've heard of her," Christine said. "Her parents were born in Jamacia and came over, with their parents, at an early age. Both her parents joined MI-6. While in high school, April was part of an experimental internship program. She worked with her parents, and, after college, had to work for either MI-6 or an allied agency, The U.N. is considered an allied agency by MI-6."

"Right," Sir John said. "That's what I have, too. Shadowcat, you'll put off your adventure until she comes."

"Understood, Sir John."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Christine left the next day and April arrived the day after that. She was an attractive dark-skinned woman with braided, black hair that fell to just below her shoulders and grey eyes. Sir John showed her around and introduced her to various staff members. They found Shadowcat in the combat simulation chamber. She and Paladin were sparing with wooden swords.

"Good aftrernoon, ladies," Sir John said.

"Good afternoon, Sir John," they said as they disengaged.

"What can we do for you?" Paladin asked.

"I'd like both of you to meet April Carter," he replied.

After the introductions were made, April said, "Nice to meet both of you. Please continue your workout. I have to get unpacked. Shadowcat, can we meet in the conference room in two hours?"

"No problem," Shadowcat replied.

"I'll see you then."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

"We should get down there."They met briefly, to discuss the equipmenr they'd need for their exploration of the nexus portals. After they finished, they went into the command center, to check on what was going on in the world.

"Kinsey's Impeachment trial starts tomorrow afternoon," one staff member said. "Also, his people released the news that Paladin is his daughter."

"Our PR people should be told about this," Shadowcat said

"They've already been informed," the staffer said. "Oh, Lady Arcane has cast her spell. The gateway's on the fifth floor, where the old one was."

"I see," April said as an alarm sounded. "Where?"

"Main lobby," he replied, punching up a camera. Lady Arcane was battling a gigantic claw that seemed to enter through the wall.

"A mystical foe," Shadowcat commented, making a katana appear in her right hand.

"How?" April asked.

"My bracelets are bracers that let me create energy duplicates of ninja and samurai weapons," Shadowcat replied. "Unfortunately, I'm limited to one weapon at a time."

"Nice," April said. "We should get down there."

"Agreed."

"Did I see an owl down there?"

"Yeah," Shadowcat replied. "That's Amber, Lady Arcane's familiar."

"Oh."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

As Shadowcat hit the button for the elevator, April drew her pistol and quickly checked the clip. "Only regular rounds," she said. "Hopefully security has something better."

"Yeah," Shadowcat said as the elevator came. "I thought this building was protected against magical attacks."

"So did I," April said as they arrived in the lobby. "Noting the energy weapons used by security, she asked, "Can I borrow one?"

Asone was passed to her, and Amber was trying to get closer to Lady Arcane, Shadowcat and Paladin, who had just arrived, ran along the sides and attacked with their swords.

As they did, one of the claw's talons hit Amber and the brave bird was knocked aside. She fell behind the newsstand as Lady Arcane's glowing shields dimmed. Bones crushed and the claw vanished.

"Medics!" yelled Lieutenant Jerry House of the San Angelo Police Department's Paranormal Alert Response Team. "What was that?"

"Possibly a magical attack of some kind," April said as the embassy medical staff arrived and Shadowcat vanished her sword and Paladin placed hers in its scabbard. "Anyone seen her familiar?"

"An owl was knocked behind the newsstand," an IST security officer replied. A faint hoot came from back there and Paladin found the dazed bird and gently set it on a pile of papers.

"She has a very faint pulse!" a staff physician announced as an ambulance arrived. "Careful," he told theparamedics. "Her bones have been crushed."

"Lieutenant, thanks for your quick response," Sir John said as he arrived. "I'll notify IST Command of the situation. If this building wasn't protected from mystical attacks, I'll find out why."

"What about teleportation and extra-dimentional attacks, too?" April asked.

"Good point," Sir John said as he left.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Shadowcat has been posted for review on the Dark Champions board.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

One after the attack, the heroes and senior staff met with Sir John in the conference room. "First, I'd like to commend April, Paladin, Shadowcat, and our security officers for their efforts today. From what we can tell, the attack was directed against Lady Arcane only. I've been informed that as her vital signs decreased, a blue glow appeared around her and her vitals increased until they were stable."

"A healing trance of some kind?" Keiko asked.

"Possible," the Chief Medical Officer replied. "I've seen stranger things."

"Amber, Lady Arcane's owl, was shaken up, but not badly hurt. The vet's keeping her overnight, just to be sure."

He paused, then continued. "As far as this building goes, since nobody thought anyone would attack using magic, precautions against magical or extradimentional attacks were ever built into an embassy. That'll change. All embassies will be protected against those problems, as well as teleport and desolid attacks. I don't know, however, what'll happen to our dimentional gate."

"Any idea who will be providing the protection here?" the security chief asked.

"Yes," Sir John replied. "The Charmed Ones."

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

The ladies showed the next day, accompanied by Aki, who dropped them off at the conference room before heading to the medical area.

"I like your new hairstyle," Kuntala said as she passed the slender nurse in the hall.

"Thank you," Aki said. "Actually, I just had a trim."

"Still, it looks wonderful," the lady lawyer said as the slender nurse left.

Kuntala sat as Sir John explained why they had been called in. "Do you need anything?" he asked when he finished.

"We have what we need," Piper replied. "We'll cast Dr. Arcane's gate spell first, then the barrier spell on the building."

"Will they interfere with each other?" Sir John asked.

"No," Piper replied.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Paladin has been posted, for comment, to this forum.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

After the ladies performed their magic and left, Sir John turned to April and Shadowcat, who had been watching, and said, "Go through when you're ready."

"Understood," April said.

"Will do," Shadowcat added.

That night, the two black-clad women walked through the gateway and found themselves in a room, dominated by a huge foundain, that had eight doors, one of which they'd come through.

As they headed for the one with flames on the door, they heard a noise behind them and saw a dark-haired woman, wearing a black, white-trimmed uniform and tea apron entering with a large plastic bag. "Good evening," the dark-haired woman said. "I'm Donna, Dr. Arcane's housekeeper. He told me to expect some black-clad visitors from the IST tonight."

"Thoughtful of him," April said. "What's in the bag?"

"Trash," Donna replied. "We use the flame pit as an incinerator. Want to watch?"

"Sure," Shadowcat replied. They followed Donna through the door and down a well-lit hall, stopping at the yellow and black caution stripes that marked the beginning of the sloped section.

"Now what?" April asked.

Donna tossed the bag down the slope. It vanished as it landed on the flat section at the bottom of the slope. "That's a gateway to the elemental plane of fire," Donna explained.

"Oh," April said as they returned to the fountain room. "Do you know anything about what's beyond the other doors?"

"The one on the other side of the gate you came through is the warehouse," Donna replied. "I assume it's for storing the clothing you remove from the bodies. Oh, there are laundry appliances in there, along with a bottle of liquid detergent."

"Thank you," April said.

"You're welcome," Donna said as she passed through the gateway she'd entered from.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

April and Shadowcat visited the warehouse next, noted the laundry equipment and storage areas for clothes, then left and entered the next gateway.

"A Japanese garden," Shadowcat said. "Looks like a good place to meditate."

"Yeah," April said. "Look, women in kimonos. One has what looks like a guitar and another has a zither."

"A shamisen and a koto," Shadowcat said. "Both are traditional Japanese musical instruments. The musicians might be geisha, which is Japanese for art person."

"How do you know so much about this?" April asked.

"My mother, a professor in the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies program occasionally performs as a geisha, " Shadowcat replied. "I was her student."

"Are you a geisha, too?" April asked.

"Yes," Shadowcat admitted. "I also have performed the tea ceremony with my mother in public. She was always the hostess. I was always the guest. Father explained to the public what was going on."

"Oh. Are all these women geisha?"

"Some might be tour guides or other workers," Shadowcat replied.

"Oh." They left and went to the next one. "A villa," April said. "Let's look inside."

"We should check out that black van, too," Shadowcat said.

"Good idea." They did. Inside were a man and a woman, both dressed in black. April looked through the bags on the floor behind them and said, "Cat burglars."

"Shouldn't they be masked?" Shadowcat asked.

"The black watch caps they're wearing might be rolled up ski masks," April replied. "When I was pulling a black-bag job, either with my parents, for MI-6 or on my own, for U.N. Intelligence, I wore my ski mask that way while waiting to break in."

"Guess you learned that from your parents," Shadowcat said.

"Yeah." They entered the villa and looked around. "Women wearing formal gowns, long gloves and jewelry and men wearing tuxs," April said. "Must be a society party."

"Yeah," Shadowcat said. "Look, the two workers are wearing long sleeve versions of the uniform Donna was wearing, complete with bands in their hair."

"They're called bandettes," April said. "I should know. I occasionally played that role on a mission,"

"I see," Shadowcat said as they left.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

"We forgot to look for newspapers or something that would give us a date and location in the garden and villa," Shadowcat said.

"Good point," April said.

They went back and looked. The villa was from Acapulco in the summer of 1982. The garden was from Springfield, Missouri in the summer of 1979.

After getting what they wanted, they went through another gateway and found themselves in a community center. This was in Evanston, Illinois in 1972. "There's a belly dance class in the meeting room today," April said, pointing to the board.

"Let's check it out," Shadowcat said. They did. Twelve women were there, all in costume.

"Cabaret-style costumes," April said. "I should know. I belly dance, too."

"Cool," Shadowcat said. "Let's check the rest of this place out."

"Right." They did. The gymnasium, with its running track and pool were normal. However, the office and daycare area weren't. "April, all the women here are wearing gloves," Shadowcat said. "I know women, in our world wear them a lot, but the only person I've heard of that keeps her gloves on at all times is Christine Hunter."

"That's because she loves wearing them," April said. "I met her once in New York," April said. "I've seen her do things with gloves on that most women can't. Of course, since she's an expert at black-bag jobs, she just might wear them to keep her fingerprints off stuff."

"You might be right."

[Hawksmoor]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Mark,

 

Why is that *all* of your PCs and NPCs seem to be chicks? Serious question, I love Girl comics as much as the next guy, well maybe not Rapier or McCoy, but you get the picture.

 

So why not some guy heroes on the IST?

 

Hawksmoor

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

They returned to the fountain room and entered the last gateway. On the other side they found four two-story, four bedroom houses and a church with a hall that looked like it wasn't part of the original construction.

In the first house, a uniformed school guard sat on the sofa, reading the paper. Her reflective vest, hat, whistle, and white gloves were on the sofa beside her. April glanced atthe paper, and said, "Lansing, Michigan. The year is 1961."

"Let's check the rest of the house out," Shadowcat said. The school guard and her husband, a hotel manager, had two children. The son was a football player while their daughter was a cheerleader. All four family members had Western clothes.

The second house had a station wagon belonging to a maid service parked outside. Four uniformed maids were inside. One bedroom had been converted into a study. From the books, they concluded that the home owner was a priest of some kind.

The third house was occupied by airline stewardesses.

The fourth house contained a Muslim family.

The church hall was occupied by a health fair. Although most booths were occupied by people in street clothes, uniformed nurses and student nurses were there, too.

In the church itself, a blood drive was going on in the basement fellowship hall. Five women were running it. The receptionist and three nurses were in white uniforms. While the nurses wore white caps, the receptionist didn't. The fifth woman wore a waitress's uniform. On the main floor, a woman in Western clothes was vacuuming the sanctuary. On the top floor, another uniformed nurse had been doing paperwork. Choir robes, handbells, white gloves, and albs occupied one room and the custodian's apartment had Western wear in it.

Satisfied, the two women returned to IST San Angelo.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Mark,

 

Why is that *all* of your PCs and NPCs seem to be chicks? Serious question, I love Girl comics as much as the next guy, well maybe not Rapier or McCoy, but you get the picture.

 

So why not some guy heroes on the IST?

 

Hawksmoor

There are some male heroes there. I just haven't written them up, yet.