|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 15, 2016 20:54:47 GMT
Walking in silence, the two came to Exotech. It was rather imposing, with all the security expected of a private lab working on who-knows-what.
"Excuse me, I'm here to see Dr. Marlowe again," Sarah said to the receptionist. She signed in and sat down in the waiting area, taking her backpack off and leaning back with a sigh.
"So, um, Mr. Alex, have you been in Exotech much? I'm a bit curious how someone not sick sees a place like this."
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 0:38:24 GMT
"To be honest, I've only been in here like once or twice. Back when they actually allowed Bring Your Kid to Work days." Alex stood, setting his bag on a chair. "Even being the child of two of the researchers doesn't entitle me to many privileges. Heck, I considered trying to get a job here, but alas, no openings. I can't even leverage nepotism to my advantage."
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 0:52:00 GMT
"Did you want a job here, or was it just an easy option? You didn't go into a related field, so maybe it's better as it is? I wouldn't want to work someplace like this myself; it's so sterile and lifeless. It makes me think of dying..." Sarah fell silent, looking down and rubbing her arm.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 1:00:26 GMT
"I mostly wanted to work here because I had no other ideas. None of the major tech firms in Contega or Newcroft were hiring, and I really wanted to use my degree for something. I tend a bar now." Alex sighed, sitting down next to his bag. At least he had 20 One, as little as it was. Apartments and graduate school don't pay for themselves, you know.
The receptionist took a call, nodded a few times, and put the phone down. "Dr. Marlowe will come meet you in a minute, Ms. Meldon."
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 1:06:39 GMT
"You work at a bar and do computer stuff? You must meet a lot of people, both in real life and online. I bet yu have a lot of friends. It must be really interesting too." Sarah smiled, then went quiet, waiting for Dr. Marlowe.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 1:30:35 GMT
Alex chuckled. "Less than you might think. Clubbers are not the type to make friends with the bartender." At least Mom would be here soon. He knew, somewhere, that something would happen. Supers attracted troubles, like moths to a light. Something would go wrong just by his very presence.
A sound of clicking heels echoed from beyond the door before an older woman in a lab coat, jeans and a t-shirt, probably in her 40s or 50s, walked into the room. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she had a pair of glasses that probably were in fashion around 10 years ago. She scanned the room momentarily, seeing Sarah, and smiled, walking towards her. "There you are."
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 1:41:36 GMT
Sarah jumped up and bowed deeply. "Y-yes, Ma'am! Um, we can make this quick, so, um..." She glanced at Alex. "We both have other things to do after this. Sh-shall we?" Sarah grabbed her backpack and made ready to go wherever Dr. Marlowe told her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 1:56:02 GMT
Dr. Marlowe looked a bit confused, looking to where Sarah did briefly and looking back. A moment later, it hit her.
"Hi, Mom." Alex waved. It obviously took a lot of effort for her to not freak out.
"You should have called." Dr. Marlowe pulled her son from his seat and buried him in a hug. "Well, I have to go do something. Have you met Sarah?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah I have. We walked here from town actually." Alex replied.
"Well, then, this won't be long. Sarah, if you'd follow me." Dr. Marlowe gestured for her to follow and walked into the back, the way she'd come. Alex resumed his seat, pulling out his phone and starting up a game.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 2:19:58 GMT
They sat down in the examination room. "So, let's start with the usual. How are you feeling? Any new side effects or changes?" asked Dr. Marlowe, leaning back in her chair.
"It's much the same. My stamina is slightly better than last month, but only a bit. I can manipulate a sewing needle with the air around it a bit, but getting it through certain materials is still next to impossible, and I can't sew straight unless I'm staring at it. I tried throwing some fruit in the air and trying to catch them, but if I tried to make a wall it just fell through, and an updraft kind of, um, shredded it. All over me."
Dr. Marlowe nodded. "It's good you're improving. These things take time. We still haven't managed to isolate what 'these things' are in your case; we assume it most be due to the subtle differences in your genome from everyone else, but as to which one, or which part of the medicine, or why it manifests as it does, we haven't arrived at an answer." She rubbed her head. "The fastest and most accurate way would be to hospitalise you here and run a series of experiments, but..."
"I would rather not." Sarah shook her head. "This medicine is working, and I have a store now. It's not much, but it's outside the hospitals. I don't want to come back."
Dr. Marlowe nodded, then leaned forward across the table with a giant smirk on her face. "So... what do you think of my son? He's a pretty good boy, right? So chivalrous too, walking a sick girl to her medical appointment. So what did you talk about?"
Sarah coughed and blushed.
"I know you can't cough naturally, Sarah." Dr. Marlowe's intense stare deepened.
"We just talked about what it was like to be healthy, to have doctor parents, what he does now. I'm still not good with people,so I probably rambled all over the place." Sarah coughed again. "Can I have my refill now? I need to get back to the store, and I'm sure you want to see your son."
Dr. Marlowe pulled a pill bottle from her pocket. "Here you are. Alex is smart, right? I bet you two rely hit it off. Heh, maybe he'll visit more often to see you and come see me?"
"Um, Mr. Alex seems very smart and really seems to care about you very much." With that, Sarah grabbed the bottle and fled before more questions came up.
"Mr. Alex? Heh, I bet he loves that."
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 3:19:56 GMT
Alex occupied himself in the lobby with a game on his phone, and jumped a bit as Sarah came flying out. "And you're back. What did my mother tell you about me?"
In another part of the facility, something was stirring. A group of scientists noticed, and frantically starting running various containment procedures. One of them sent a distress message off.
Alex's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, and rolled his eyes. What else would it be but an SAW? Because GOD FORBID he have a nice, relaxing weekend at home, visiting his parents. A second later, alarms started ringing.
"Alright, let's get out of here. That's never a good sound." He rose, grabbing his bag, and clenching his fist tightly. The ring reacted a little to his emotions, shining dimly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 3:36:26 GMT
"Is that a bad guy sound, or an accident sound?" Sarah felt her pocket vibrate and sighed. "I'll, um, go hide in the bathroom!" Without waiting for a response, she ran to the nearest Girl's Room, dodged in, and after making sure it was vacant, pulled the neatly folded frilly lavender and white Magical Girl dress she had made out of her backpack. She threw Lavender Gale on over her clothes, quickly brushed her hair into the Magical Girl double-ponytail, and donned her butterfly masquerade mask. Why did this have to happen now? she moaned internally. At least I got my meds first. Here goes nothing, and hoping everything goes well and no one recognizes me. Please, Mr. Alex, Drs. Marlowe, get out safely. She popped a pill and shoved it in her backpack, then hid it in a stall, locked the stall door, and headed out, looking to make sure no one was watching the bathroom.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 3:54:46 GMT
Alex stood and held open the interior door, waving people out of the building. "Alex?" His father asked as he ran past. "Hi Dad. Visiting for the weekend. Talk later. Go now." Alex handed his bag to his father and shoved him along, and once the crowd had subsided, Alex ran deeper into the building. In a lab not too far from where the two were at, a robot was standing. The bodies of the scientists who had attempted to contain it were scattered about the room. " B.R.I.C.K. UNIT, ONLINE." It stated in a deadpan monotone. It began trudging out the door. " SECURE THE AREA." |
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 4:34:10 GMT
Sarah, a.k.a Breeze, closed her eyes and facilitated the flow of sound towards her, tuning out the civilians fleeing, searching for the cause of the commotion. Over there. She moved quickly and quietly. A big robot was trundling noisily out of a room. "Magical Air Hammer!" the Gentle Breeze yelled, making a swinging motion and crashing a wave of air downwards on the machine's head.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 13:59:09 GMT
B.R.I.C.K.'s legs buckled for a moment, before it straightened, turning to face Sarah. "THREAT DETECTED. SECURE THE AREA." It started trudging towards Sarah, taking a clumsy swing when it got close enough.
Alex rounded the corner to see a robot. Something I might be able to... And then he noticed the other hero. How had someone else beaten him here? Did Exotech have a super employed on campus? It made enough sense. Lot of sensitive information and experiments to be protected. Hopefully the robot hadn't already destroyed the computer linked to it. Maybe he could calm it down.
Maybe.
He ran in, hoping the robot didn't notice, and ducked into the lab it had emerged from, stepping over bodies to approach what looked like his best shot.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 14:40:38 GMT
Breeze saw someone duck into the room the robot had just exited, the the robot turned on her. It buckled. The legs are weak. "Secure this!" she yelled. "Magical Maelstrom: Leg Sweep!" A blast of air blew towards the legs.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 17:48:18 GMT
The robot's legs went out from under it, and it dropped, landing on a corner of his cube-shaped body and it shifted again, landing flat. It's legs rose again from under it, having obviously retracted into its body. "ADJUSTING. THREAT: PRIORITY RED." It's right arm retracted back into its shoulder, which then retracted into the main body. It stood still for a minute.
The screen was still displaying what the robot was doing, but the keyboard had been damaged. Alex was a bit more concerned with what the screen was reading. "THREAT PRIORITY: RED. SWITCHING RIGHT TO ROTARY CANNON."
"That's not good." Alex muttered, running to the door and looking at the robot. As he did so, it's right arm reappeared, the hand now replaced by a Gatling gun. "That is definitely not good.
"NEW THREAT DETECTED. SECURE THE AREA." It turned, looking right at Alex. He instinctively moved to summon his armor, but stopped himself. The other super was still here; they'd figure out who he was.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 19:09:12 GMT
Using the air she had thrown at the robot's legs, Breeze started rotating, trying to spin it in a mini-cyclone. She closed her eyes and concentrated, sweat beading on her forehead, breathing slowing as she put everything she had into keeping the robot from using the Gatling gun on the civilian in the room and trying to feel through the air for a weakness, or maybe an off switch. "Magical... Cyclone!" she gasped.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 19:34:26 GMT
"ERROR. UNNATURAL WEATHER. COMBAT MATRIX, RECALIBRATING." It paused, spinning in the cyclone for a moment.
Alex jumped out of the way, making it look like he was moving for the door. Once he made it out of sight, his plan was to wait a moment and change. Hopefully the delay between his own departure and the appearance of Iron Brotherhood would throw off any suspicions the heroine might have.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Meldon on May 16, 2016 20:43:04 GMT
The change in air flow moved towards the door, and the way was clear. The civilian should have a straight shot out, even if Breeze couldn't make sure with her own eyes. Masquerade masks weren't worn for their wide field of vision, after all. I wish Mr. Alex was here. He might be able to reprogram the robot or something. Though the chance of it having a computer terminal on it is probably about as laughably low as it having an off switch. How do people expect us to deal with these things if they malfunction? She reversed the flow of the cyclone as she gathered more energy to lift small chunks of debris from around the room. I'm at a disadvantage against something that doesn't need to breathe, and I don't know if removing the air around it would stop it or just make it need an oiling later, but I should be able to wedge things in its joints and jam it up. Then, if they want, they can fix it later with minimal damage. Or if it doesn't stop, I can look for wires to shred. Robots should use wires, right?
She felt her breathing stop from the outward effort and dropped the cyclone as she threw the debris at the joints. I shouldn't have let myself run out of medicine before coming for a refill. It takes too long to work if I'm too active right after taking it... At least I've practiced moving small objects, though precise I am not. Why did this have to happen today of all days? But I guess it's good I was right here. I can't let this place get destroyed, or I won't have any meds to stabilize me, and it would have taken too long and too much energy to get here from my store. "Magical Rain Shower!" She let fly everything her air could grab.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Marlowe on May 16, 2016 20:48:45 GMT
A variety of things first clogged up B.R.I.C.K.'s rotary cannon, before clogging it's joints and preventing it from moving. "ERROR. JOINT MALFUNCTION. ERROR. WEAPON MALFUNCTION. JAM. CLEAR JAM. ERROR." It began repeating the same messages over and over, trying to get its joints cleared.
Alex noticed. "Wait." He ran over and analyzed the robot. Maybe there was a panel or something he could crack open. If he got into it's guts, he might able to hook his own computer up. And then realized his computer was in his bag, which his father had. And his father was outside the facility. "Dammit." He muttered. There was a clang as some of the junk clogging the robot's right arm fell to the floor.
|
|
