Re: New Protectors Rising! (Bay City Campaign idea)
As threatened...
Starwatch: Moments in History...
The night sky here was amazing, and worth every moment of the effort it took to making the climb. Most of Ryan's friends back at the base might question his sanity for burning a week of leave to climb rocks and stare at the stars by himself, but he'd felt the need to just get away from everything and everyone for a while...
Watching the moving points of lights among the firmament, Ryan finds himself absently cataloguing and identifying which is which -- chuckling as he catches himself doing it...
.oO(Obviously been too much time on the job)
One point draws his eye as he realizes it's just not behaving correctly. It's path is just too erratic. It's not right for a satellite or an aircraft...
.oO(Someone is probably having a nervous breakdown about now) he thinks, wondering who might be on duty at the various stations which would be likely to monitor whatever this is. His last conscious thought...
The sky is growing light when he opens his eyes again, confusion coloring his thoughts...
"Geez! Did I fall asleep or something?" he asks aloud, alone on his mountain perch with the morning sun just lightening the morning sky, not expecting the answer which doesn't come...
With a groan, he rolls over and gets to his feet, trying to ignore the oddly detached feeling he has while dealing with the routine of a new day and appreciating the play of light of the day's sunrise...
====
Ryan looks up from the odd script he's deciphering, and glances at the half-full coffee cup as Dr Ford asks if he needs anything more...
{"No. My needs are met at this present."} he responds absently, speaking in the same language as Dr Ford had used before realizing he doesn't recognize the language at all...
{"Confusing me, you are attempting still to do,"} he continues with a small chuckle, though he'd had to pause before answering -- somehow realizing that his initial response was beyond his physical abilities to convey...
"I'm sorry," Dr Ford chuckles, switching back to English. "But that exceeds my abilities with that language. Though it does sound as if you had to pidgin it a little?"
"I think I would have to have wings to convey my full meaning properly," Ryan answers, cocking his head to one side thoughtfully as he considers why he'd had to modify his answer. He doesn't know how he can respond to any language in the same language -- even when he doesn't recognize what language it is...
"It's something I picked up a smattering of while first trying to decipher that," Dr Ford offers, indicating the book in front of Ryan. "And yes, the speaker had wings, so you are probably right."
"You really should be a Languages Major, you know," the visiting professor notes quietly...
"I've heard that mentioned a time or ten," Ryan responds dryly, though he leans back with a grin of his own. He's a bit of a celebrity with the Languages Department, which explains why Dr Ford sought out his assistance with the alien language in this book...
"It's not a challenge," he adds after considering his answer for a few moments, the respected academic across from him deserving more than a flip response...
"Talk to me in a language, any language, and I'll answer in that language. Makes going to a '101' level course kinda pointless, wouldn't you agree," he asks rhetorically, both knowing University policies are as inflexible as stone -- California or Colorado...
"Programming languages are different. I can do things with them. Do things which can make a difference," he finds himself explaining, not sure why he's bothering this time but continuing anyway. Maybe he just needs to articulate it -- or maybe he realizes this is someone worthy of the sort of respect which requires a full response...
"Computers tie to everything. When you write your paper, you'll use a computer. You'll use a computer to send it to your peers for review, and for their assistance...
"Pretty much every field of study uses computers for something; plus business, medicine, government, and the military...
"It's kind of hard to put into words, regardless of the language used," he half chuckles...
"I spent a few years in the Service," he adds, almost as a non-sequitor. "I was part of something larger which served a purpose. 'Part of the Solution' as the old saying goes...
"I want to be a part of as many solutions as I can, even if I don't know what the problems are yet."
"A good answer," Dr Ford responds quietly with a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of problems you take up as challenges in the future," he adds before the pair resume work on the alien book...
====
Ryan frowns as he considers the lines of code on his monitor. He's pretty sure he knows what the problem is, but that doesn't make finding the errant bit of code any easier to find. He's working as an independent contractor for SavCo, his first 'real job' following his graduation from the University of Colorado and he's determined to make a good impression -- working late into the night...
The quick series of explosions jars him from his thoughts, having only enough time to get quickly to his feet before the door to his work area slams open and a small object flies into the room...
Ryan was Air Force, not Army or Marines, but he still recognizes a grenade when he sees one and he finds himself debating between diving for cover or trying to throw it back out of the room -- not even sure what sort of grenade it is...
{"Threat Exists! Battle Mode, Engaged!}
.oO('Battle Mode'? What the...)
Before Ryan has time to worry further about the unexpected voice in his head, the Taser Grenade explodes into a tangle of wires which spark harmlessly against the blue and orange of his 'suit'(?) and he finds himself floating in space somewhere behind his eyes -- surrounded by a profusion of icons and displays waiting patiently for his decisions...
Seeing the group of armored mercenaries (VIPER?) about to rush into the room as a follow up in the central display...
.oO(Crap! A wall would be good about now) he curses mentally, needing time to think -- as icons highlight themselves and options display before him...
A short eternity later, Ryan is still trying to figure out what's happened to him -- but at least he's pretty sure he's gotten at least some sort of handle on controlling whatever it is he's doing. Walls are pretty simple, and even those energy bands which are so good at tying mercenaries up. Constructs of orange energy, reinforced by a more brightly glowing orange grid work. It's almost enough to make Ryan think he's looking at some of the older plasma displays he'd seen back in one of his service schools. The flying bit was a little harder to wrap his mind around. Yeah, he'd been in the Air Force but he'd never been his own plane before...
The costumed supervillain crashing through the wall next to him jerks Ryan back to his present concerns, namely trying to keep himself in one piece while working towards whatever these goons' objective was and helping whoever else might have gotten caught working late...
.oO(Too close for a wall, not that it would seem to help anyhow -- and I don't think the force bands would work either) he considers quickly, looking for alternatives and not really seeing any. Things are happening too fast...
.oO(I don't suppose anyone left a baseball bat laying about) he grumbles mentally, thinking of the 'home defense' option his sister keeps by her bed as he barely avoids a ham-fisted punch. He decides not to ask any questions when one of the icons before him offers the option of a baseball bat...
====
Wayne Savage pauses in his perusal of the reports of VIPER's attack on his Bay City facility, pinching the bridge of his nose to counter the headache -- thankful that at least nobody was badly hurt, and the intervention of an unknown hero in blue and orange calling himself 'Starwatch' had managed to keep the property and IP losses to a minimum as well. Even if it had probably upped the property damage to the building itself. That's why he paid insurance premiums..
.oO(Good odds on whoever this 'Starwatch' is being in the building before VIPER hit) he considers, knowing that narrowing it down to only one name -- and then confirming the suspicion would be nearly impossible without spending more resources than he's inclined to throw at the problem. If finding out secret IDs was easy, his would have been found out years ago. Which is another reason he's not inclined to search out someone else's...
Glancing down at the list of employees on site at the time of the attack, one names stands out, and he reaches over to the phone on his desk and taps out a quick code...
'Yes, Wayne?" Galahad asks politely before the phone even has time to ring once...
"I need a journal check. Yours and mine," Wayne answers distractedly as his mind looks for the memory he knows must be there. "Does the name 'Ryan Gregory' ring any bells?"
"We've both made a note regarding an individual with that name, at the request of Maelstrom," Galahad responds nearly instantly...
"Dr Ford encountered him prior to his death while working on the translation of some of the books Quasar left behind, and said he had 'a feeling about this one'. He also noted that a translator capable of handling Galactic Languages may some day prove useful even if he was wrong."
"Access SavCo's HR files and the incident report on last night's VIPER strike. Please run a background check against Ryan Gregory and cross reference with James' report," Wayne directs decisively, already certain of the results...
"Running. Completed," Galahad replies. "Records match."
