You wake up to the beeping sound of an alarm you heard for the first time. Actually for the second time… its been only over a year ago. Trying to find a way how to turn it off the alarm suddenly stops.


Your eyes slowly focus and the room comes slowly back into picture you face a large oval-shaped table with 8 seats. At the head of the table you see your liaison officer Ms. Baxter still absorbed with her clipboard reading some files. The other seats are filled with members of your team though something seems strangely amiss.


Ms. Baxter starts speaking without addressing anyone in particular.

“This will be your first assignment.”, she comments detached. The holographic image portrays a teenager of approximately 16 years of age. He has dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and wears glasses. His face is strangely androgynous and if it wasn’t for his name he could’ve also passed as a young girl.

“What you are currently looking at is the face of one Richard Brandt, german student of Physics with focus on Quantum-Physics prior to his eruption.”, the holographic unit provides you with several pictures of Richard sitting at a café and talking with fellow students.

“Don’t let yourselves be distracted by his innocent looks. This is how he looks now:”, the hologram shows the same face only now it seems coated with quicksilver. His eyes are like displays constantly changing as if someone was switching channels of a TV and he appears even more androgynous than before. It is obvious to see that the boy is heavily tainted.

“Richard – or “Newton” how he calls himself has just erupted 6 months ago and displays an alarming control of his powers. We are still trying to determine the true nature of his eruption but so far nothing has turned out to our satisfaction. What we do know is, that he was invited by the German government to attend a special school of highly gifted minds and talents. That was 6 months ago. We also know that the facility he has been brought to is actually a Project Proteus building.”, the hologram provides you with a satellite picture of a former US-Army base in Germany near Heidelberg completely with exact coordinates of its location.

“Newton is extremely dangerous. He has already made contact with the Aberrants and we have reason to assume that he was at Bahrain. We also have reason to believe that he is not operating alone and that he has recruited at least 3 like minded Novas for his cause. What his true goals are is yet undetermined but he has managed to escape Proteus, Utopia and Teragen influence. We believe he had contact with Corbin and is trying to reveal the truth about the Slider murder. As you already know rumours are spreading like a fire around the globe and any further indication that Project Utopia and Proteus are responsible for Sliders death unbalances the status quo. We need the status quo to operate without drawing too much attention to missing Novas to the authorities. You need to execute Newton as discreet as possible and disappear immediately.”, Ms. Baxter presses on a button on her clipboard and closes the file.

“Details about Newtons powers, last known residence and most likely whereabouts are downloaded to your personal computers. If you don’t have any further questions the meeting is adjourned.”

Ms. Baxter looks up, adjusting her glasses and pressing the clipboard firmly to her chest and smiles thinly over the it.

Somehow you have the strange feeling having gone through this briefing before...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the meantime somewhere in Manhattan NYC a young aspiring conspiracy theorists reveals the following "facts" on her OpNet-Site...


The Truth Is In Here: Special Report
A Crisis Just In Time!!

New York City - Manhattan

If I know you, True Believers, you're wondering what I'm doing clear out here in NYC. I've asked myself the same question several times now. What I'm on the trail of this time seems too incredible to be true, but my sources are reliable, and my confidence is high. What I'm talking about right now is Time Manipulation!

Does it sound farfetched? Novas exist who can change the parameters of space through warps and teleports. Einstein tells us that space and time are part of the same 'fabric.' How unlikely is it really then that a nova might exist who can tamper with time itself? Not very! The real question is...why?

Some of my top sources have tipped me off to activity in high level circles suggesting that the fabled Proteus department may be on the move, operating from the UN building in New York in response to something new. Something called "Omega." Right now, things are sketchy. Departmental memos, leaked statements, blogs from known Proteus whistleblowers...they agree that the infamous black department of Utopia is worried. Worried enough to turn back the clock?

What is Omega?

There's all kinds of theories floating around the alternative Opnet channels right now. Some think it's a doomsday device of some kind, set up by a shadowy cabal within the US government called The Directive. Could this doomsday device somehow...destroy time itself? Others believe that it's a reference to a final invasion of extraterrestrials, who were responsible for the Galatea explosion, and the subsequent creation of novas. Others; a plot to wipe out all baselines by the Teragen, an attempt by the Nova Illuminati to enter a 'global endgame' to their game of nations... But this reporter thinks the most compelling so far is that it's related to the so called 'OC-Novas' referred to in an avowed Proteus document that came across her desk last week. The memo mentioned several novas, not by name unfortunately, that were declared major threats either BY Proteus, or TO Proteus. The last line states, '...these class omega threats could...'

Class Omega. Omega Class. OC - Novas.

And now, that same black department is concerned about "Omega." Coincidence? There are no coincidences. I'll have a scan of that memo up as soon as I get back, and you can draw your own conclusions.

In the meantime...who are these OC-Novas? And why are they messing with time?

More as it develops.

Callum half raised his hand, "What's the timetable on this?"

Sean's stomach grumbled with hunger and he reached for one of the danishes but remembered that he'd just eaten it. He'd also had cold pizza for breakfast before coming to the meeting, he distinctly remembered it. His stomach was pretty hollow though, that was odd and added to the sense of deja vu. He grabbed a cinnamon roll off the table instead.

"I don't know about timetable, but I'm not so good at tracking down people like him. I'll wait until one of you point me at the target and then make his life difficult. In fact I would suggest at least a double attack if we can arrange it. I can make one other person invisible. Perhaps, Voi... er the Fool and I can get within range invisible and both strike at once?" His words have the ring of something said before and already decided on. Either way he was sure he couldn't do anything to help locate the target.

Not waiting for a response he gets up from the table and heads off to requisition a bit of equipment for the mission. He is wanting a gadget that will allow him to teleport. That might just increase odds of survivability greatly as well as the potential chances of success. He mutters to himself in the hallway, "Lets, see if I have enough pull around here yet to get it."

Seeing Mrs. Baxter he asks for access to a device capable of teleportation. Mrs. Baxter nods and makes a note of the request and checks in storage for the device and discovers it missing. Normally unflappable she is stunned that a device would be missing from the high security area. Sean frowns and asks what the device looks like. The flustered coordinator described the very watch that Sean was wearing. He held out his wrist showing the watch. "I have absolutely no idea how that got there."

Four Seasons Hotel
New York City
New York

People pass into and out of the large glass doors of the Four Seasons constantly. Broad stairs fan down from them to the sidewalk, where a neverending stream of cabs and valets pick up and drop off their human traffic. Most are well dressed in business attire or at least designer clothes. Others have uniforms of one sort or another on.

One had a colorful striped knit stocking hat, a threadbare denim jacket over a Dead Smurf Face T-shirt, and a navy pleated skirt that hung to her knees. Slung over her shoulder was a magenta knapsack that looked pretty full. Her shoes were white sneakers. Reeboks, perhaps, or cheap knockoffs. She was clearly asian, rather pretty, and seemed to be talking into her hand as she climbed up those fanning steps to the door and went in with a quick, nervous look at the doorman.

This is what she was saying:

"Everything looks normal at first glance...no men in black or...well, there's lots of men in black, but not Men In Black, if you get it...no one's staring at me besides the man at the door..." She paused until she was through and heading into the expansive lobby. "...he could bear some watching. Possible agent. Beady little eyes. Undercover maybe. Lobby seems all right...nice chandeliers. Good...good flow through it. Not too crowded."

She took a deep breath and stopped her nervous babbling into the little digital recorder in her hand. The truth was she had no idea what to do now. The disturbance...the weird doubling that she saw, as if the world had been cast in a stereoscope...was stronger here than ever before. She didn't think she was in -danger- yet. No one had any reason to think she knew anything. Unless they read that article. Maybe she shoulda waited. But it had all been so exciting when she'd first arrived, and she'd had visions of busting in here and seeing secret agents scattering like roaches before the awesome light of the Truth.

Now here she was. Busted in, and nothing to see.

A good reporter never gives up! Think about your readers!

She narrowed her eyes and nodded. She had a duty to the public. She adjusted her grip on her knapsack and made her way to one of the people at the huge marble counter.

"Hi. Uh...how much for a room? One night?"

The concierge examined the young woman trying to discern if she was seriously asking for a room or just trying to get some information.

"You are alone, young miss? That'll be 175 $ per night including breakfast. Check out after breakfast 9 am please. Cash or Credit Card?", the concierge was being polite but direct. He seemed to try to intimidate her to change her mind and go to another hotel... but that would be assuming too much.

Keiko's mouth drops open at that, and she looks away, towards the curtained windows over in the far wall. Between it and her were dozens of people in very nice clothes, with very nice jewelry. It wouldn't be HARD to just...

With a sigh, she looks at the concierge.

"I'll be right back."

Stupid public, she thought vengefully as she walked across the lobby towards the little ATM sign she'd seen as she passed. She'd already sprung for airfare. Maybe if the public PAID her, she'd feel a bit more... Keiko hesitates, then shakes her head woefully.

It wasn't really about the public. Oh, she'd tell her story, and only a few would believe her...for now... But it was really about herself right now.

She takes two hundred from the ATM...the bank won't let her take more at once. There's two ATM machines hovering there before her eyes; almost identical. One hasn't been touched by her. The other has. One thin, well manicured carpet leading up to it has her footprints on it, the other doesn't. The distortion is really bad here, which is really good, but also really confusing. Sometimes Keiko feels she can reach out and touch the way things were...supposed to be, for want of a better word.

Money in hand, she crosses back to the concierge and gives him a sunny smile as she sets the wad of bills on the counter.

"Cash please!"

The Concierge took the money with a lifted eyebrow and proceeded to check Keiko in.

"No luggage, I suppose. Please fill in this registration card and put your signature here.", he marked the last line with the word Signature underneath it as if Keiko was a little school girl. While Keiko filled in the card the concierge nodded at one of the women behind the desk and whispered something into her ear. With a polite smile he nodded at Keiko and excused himself before he left.

The young woman behind the desk put on a very fake smile and waited eagerly for Keiko's card before she handed her the keycard to her room.

Nosferatu had grabbed a plate of pastries and sat down to eat them. A man...a vampire cannot live on blood alone. Blood? I really wish I had some right now. His hands were shaking but he was not sure why.



Discreet? There goes that idea. Nosferatu hungered to drain their life force. A simple monstrous act by a monster. Too bad my teeth leave marks.

He couldn't keep his eyes off her supple and alluring neckline. Mrs. Baxter had a slender healthy look, and was probably a feak in the sack. Uptight looking women, like Mrs. Baxter, usually cut loose and became sex starved nymphomaniacs when stimulated properly. He wondered if she would also be appreciative of sharing lifeblood with him. A few moments alone....

Mrs. Baxter seemed to be flustered and confused by Sean's request for a teleporation device, and their subsequent absence. When Sean pointed out that it was already on his wrist, Nosferatu likewise looked at his wrist and saw the same thing. "I seem to have one too."

Keiko scribbled 'Miss Cake' after her OpNet persona on the card, and filled the rest with plausible, but made up information. She finishes in time to see the concierge whisper something and her eyes narrow as she hands the lady her card.

"What did he say?" she wants to know.

Finding himself suddenly sitting around the table, the Fool stands up abruptly in the middle of Ms. Baxter talking.

The cheek of his mask blushes and he reaches up with one hand to touch it in a way that seems wistful or nostalgic.

"What is this, I should perchance to miss, a warm hand and phantom kiss?" he asks to noone in particular.

After a moment he sits back down and studies the PDA files of the mission at hand without comment.

After Nosferatu's coment, he holds up a wrist teleporter and adds, "Me three."

Cherub says,

"Question. You said to make this clueless, does that mean we should just make him disappear or do you want him publicly dead?"


Tom thinks, *Wow... that sounds familiar... and did she actually say "clueless"?*

"Mr. Trapatoni said he has to attend to an important guest of ours. He kindly asked me to take over for him... Ms. Cake?", the woman tried to pronounce the name in chinese or japanese which made it sound more like "Kah-ki".

"Oh," Keiko says, mollified. She intentionally doesn't react to the pronunciation of her 'name.' "Okay. Sorry, it's been a long day. Two long days actually. Can I get my key?"

The woman at the desk nodded apprehensively and handed Keiko the keycard. Bowing forward she pointed at the elevators and explained politely, "The breakfast area is just to the left past the elevators. We serve breakfast from 7am to 10am. Your room is on the 10th floor, number 1007. If you have any requests dial the 9 on your phone. Have a pleasent stay at the Four Seasons Ms. "Kah-Ki"."

Ms. Baxter looked irritated at her clipboard and then on the screen. She typed some quick commands into her Computer and furrowed her brows. "This... is odd. Gentlemen, I need to check up on something. This doesn't make sense. I'll be back in a minute or two. You can study the provided data in the meantime and make a strike plan. Please excuse me."

Without waiting for a reply Ms. Baxter stood up and hurried outside the briefing room obviously concerned about something.

Keiko takes the keycard and goes to the elevators. After a moment she selects the top floor. After all, she reasons, this way she could see if the 'doubling' effect got worse or better as she passed each floor...which would tell her where to go next.

Cherub says to everyone,

"Speaking of 'odd', does anyone else feel... well... off?"

Sean nods. "Yeah, I'm starving despite having eaten both pizza and danishes, and I've got this teleporter even though I have no memory of getting it. Then there is the weird deja-vu sensation like we've been here before, except this is our first full assignment."

The elevator hummed with low and annoying almost sedating music. On the way up past the 10th floor Keiko could feel the distortion getting worse and worse. Around the 20th floor it was almost impossible to tell which of the overlapping timelines had been hers... 'the original'. The sensation almost made her throw up and the elevator cabin suddenly filled with people although she never saw it stopping. Slowly panic gripped her as the sensation overwhelmed her senses. With a loud 'ping' noise the elevator announced it had reached the top floor. Keiko stumbled outside and took a few breaths before she had regained her bearings.

Tom says,

"Yeah, deja-vu is it. Shouldn't Grey Goo be here?"

Sean frowned, "Who?" The name sounded familiar, but he just couldn't place it. It was almost as if he could see a face out of the corner of his minds eye, but when he tried to focus on it there was nothing there.

With a shaking hand, Keiko holds her digital recorder to her mouth and says, "Whatever's happening, it's definitely strongest on the twentieth floor. So strong, I don't know if I can go back...or what'll happen if I do. It seems impossible that no one else can feel this...it's almost like two different...time things...are touching each other. Or will be. Or...or something."

She takes a deep breath to steady her voice. "This omega thing or Proteus plot obviously has some nova or special equipment on the twentieth floor. I may be the only one who can find the truth. Whatever this is, it could be a danger to the whole city...maybe even the whole world!"

Keiko looks around to make sure she's unobserved, then whispers, "Just in case I don't make it, I'm leaving this recorder behind. Remember...Four Seasons hotel in New York City. Twentieth Floor. I'll fill you in with the details when I recover this. If I can."

She looks around, then buries the lighter-sized device in the loose dirt caked inside a shallow, but broad pot in the corner from which grows a large, broad leafed plant of some kind. Satisfied that it should be very hard to find unless one knows where to look, Keiko takes a quick shot of the plant with her cellphone camera...just in case she's brainwashed or loses her memory and needs a clue to find it again. You never knew.

Then she gets back in the elevator, grits her teeth, and hits the '20' button.

(as she gets to floor 20, I'd like her to try to use her abilities to "compensate" for the effect, perhaps aligning her with one time frame or the other, if necessary and possible. No idea how it would work, or even if it'd work, so I leave it to you. )

The distortion washed over Keiko almost stunning her senses. Hadn't she be prepared she would have thrown up because of nausea and maybe even worse. As she concentrated on the distortion she slowly seperated the two diverging timelines but had to move very carefully to maintain that concentration. Through her right eye she saw the "original", her own timeline, through her left eye she could see the distortion. Suddenly she felt someone walk past through her. A young woman in a business suit. She was from the distortion and walked down the corridor to the next junction. She had to hurry if she wanted to find out where the woman went.

It was like walking a tightrope in a blizzard. Only not cold. And...not hard to see in. And there was a floor. But otherwise it was -just like that-. Keiko was rather proud of the image.

"Someone just passed...she's only in the other line," Keiko grits, heedless of who sees the crazy Japanese girl staggering forward and muttering to herself. "Girl in a suit, girl in a suit. Gotta remember a girl in a suit. Tightrope in a blizzard, girl in a suit."

Working hard to keep the distortion from paralyzing her, Keiko hobbles forward as fast as she can to keep the woman in sight.

"To be honest, and I don't want to alarm you guys, but I really need some blood to drink." Nosferatu said to the the others. "Not want, but need. It is as if my body needs it to live." He looked both conused and joyed by the revelation. "How does that happen overnight?"



Where is she? She was the other Terat and part of their team.

"She should be here. She infiltrated the Teragen with me." Nosferatu looked around the room to make sure she was not there. "Maybe something came up." It was not like an Omega agent to be late to a meeting.

Outside the briefing room Mrs. Baxter stormed out of her office with 2 Guards in escort following her. She exchanged a few words with 2 additional Guards that intercepted her path obviously being called for duty. After that Mrs. Baxter enters the briefing room with the 2 initial Guards following her and the 2 new ones waiting just outside.

"It seems we have a situation here. I need to ask you all to stay here until we have further investigated this... anamoly.", Ms. Baxter appeared extremely nervous but her training helped her not to sound too panicked. "If you excuse me again, please. I have to make an urgent call."


------------------




Keiko stumbled through the corridor concentrating on the parallel timeline and trying to keep up with the woman. Just before she turned at the next junction the woman suddenly stopped changing her original path. She watched something that was beyond Keiko's sight which made her squint her eyes in vain to get a better focus. The woman took a few steps towards another elevator and suddenly the distortion became extremely erratic to the point that Keiko couldn't look at it without feeling an extreme headache and nausea. The pain stunned her and she stumbled to the side trying to remain on her feet but failed as the world around her turned blue... and then black... a deep unconscious blackness.

"Miss... can you hear me?", she heard a young man asking her. The world still was hazy to her.

Woozily, Keiko puts a hand to her head. "Ow..." she moans.

Then she looks up at the one talking to her...and sees a parody of her own face looking back at her. With a startled squeak, Keiko tries to scramble back away, but finds that she's actually on her back...in some kind of bed!

"What the...what are you?!" she yelps as she nearly falls off the narrow bed and has to sit up to avoid it. The one that spoke to her is some kind of...man-shaped blob of chrome, or something reflective but perfectly overlaying a human figure.

"What's going on?! Where am I?"

Synner has been sitting silently, observing each of the members of the team. He keeps to himself until Nosferatu speaks again.



Payton stops himself barely from gesturing and opening a portal to ... somewhere he can almost remember - someplace were his devotees wait for his call.


Yes. Its like we are down somebody. I remember people who travel through my portals and ... well ... I can't say I understand it."

"And not only her, but I recall a charming young Miss. Funny, that I should recall anything if this is our first mission. Deja Vu indeed..."

The Fool gets up and begins pacing back and forth.

"Young Miss...Miss...missing a kiss...something amiss...what did I miss?"
He mutters to himself.

Cherub says to the Fool,

"Yes, but you're the Precog. You're supposed to feel this sort of thing, right? Wait, are we all feeling this?"

Cherub looks around the table.

Sean nods. "I am."

"Please calm down.", said the quicksilver man, "My name is Newton - we found you unconscious in the Four Seasons Hotel and brought you here, to our HQ. Can you tell me which day it is?"

(ooc: it is Friday // for you guys. Last time your briefing was on a thursday morning - tuesday the bomb will go off, according to your research)

--------------

In the meantime a third "Guard" entered the room. He didn't look much human though considering his extra pair of arms and the fur that covered his skin. The new "Guard" just stood at the entrance to the briefing room watching every single one of you as if he wanted to memorize your faces, stature... everything.

"Shiva, get out of there!", said Ms. Baxter and the beast reluctantly exited the room to join with Ms. Baxter. Again a muttering of low voices could be heard. This was really starting to get more and more suspicious. You know that OC was very picky about their assignments and protocols. This was unlike anything you went through in training. Something was not right.

"Friday afternoon?" Keiko stammers. "How long was I unconscious? Is this a hospital? Who are you?"

She looks around as she speaks, trying to figure out where she is.

Callum looks at the others, a mixture of concern and curiousity on his face, "What the hell are you talking about man?" He jerks his thumb toward the Fool, "Wack-boy starting to make sense to you? Sounds like you need to get your head checked."

The Fool stops and stares at Callum pointedly for a moment but says nothing. Instead one eyebrow of the mask raises slightly. It's always disconcerting to see it animate that way.

"Perhaps it would be best if we were to concentrate on the tactical execution of our assignment...I drew this card, mere moments before being summoned here..."

The Fool pulls out a very old Tarot card which he lays upon the table's surface.



"This foe we face must not be under-classed." he began in a variation of iambic pentameter. "The power of transsubstantiation, the philosopher's stone is in his grasp. Carefully we must strike from afar, for whatever element that we should use, becomes his ally true. Death must visit him a stormcrow swift, lest the tables be turned against us."

It's him again! Nosferatu mutters as he notices Shiva. As soon as he thought it, he stopped. Again? I haven't seen him before...Have I? His own feelings of deja vu, now matched his teammates.

Ms. Baxter was exhibiting very odd behavior for somone as confident as her. It was as if Omega was on alert. But for what? What would a strange occurances of deja vu have to do with Ms. Baster's alarm. Nevertheless, he would follow Omega's orders, and remain where he was.

Chuckling to himself, Nosferatu acknowledged that The Fool would be the best option in dealing with the current situation. When the oddity known as The Fool, produced the 'Magician' card, and read his analysis of it, Nosferatu mostly understood. For someone who had spent many years playing ith the occult, the card was not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, much of what The Fool said made sense only to the Fool. Further examination of his words would be necessary.

Cherub states,

"Most or all of us feel something is amiss, including our handler. We're missing a member and we have gear that we don't remember getting."

"If it were just my head I'd feel a lot better."

Tom nods at the Fool's statement... then frowns. The Fool's right, and Tom knows it... but how does he know that he knows?

The Fool hold up two fingers.

"Two. We are missing two...and one that was not here..." The Fool hesitates for a moment, almost not wanting to finish the sentance.

"...before..." his words hang in the air.

"Calm down... this is not a hospital.", Newton looked past her and addressed someone who must've been standing in the room, too. "We're getting closer to the actual date but no sign of Nadine yet. And now this girl appears out of nowhere. Bastion, contact Synapse and feed him with the latest news. Something is different this time, I just can't grasp it yet."

Keiko scanned the room. It looked absolutely futuristic, almost alien in design. Nothing was remotely recognisable, not even the medical instruments, which seemed to be missing. Instead there was just her bed and a device Newton held in his hand. Several screens showed vital stats of Keiko, heartbeat, bloodpressure and some other stats that she couldn't figure out. Suddenly Keiko felt almost stripped naked.

--------------------

The door to the briefing room locked with a barely audible clacking sound and the voices in the corridor behind it got lower and faded away. Cherub and The_Fool's sixth sense suddenly sprang to full alert. Something was about to happen.

The hollow sockets of his mask instantly grow very wide.

"We have to leave...NOW! Make haste! Make haste!" quips the Fool in rapid succession.

"Synner, a doorway, if you please!...You know the way!"

Synner indeed gets a quick flash of The Fool's subterranean sanctum. Though he can never recall having been there, it's spacial location is utterly clear in the mind of the warper...