Keiko's mouth drops open as the silver man speaks. Bastion? Definitely a nova-name. But Synapse?! She knew who THAT was! Teragen! Which meant she was now a prisoner of the Teragen!

"It was YOU!" Keiko declared, pointing at Newton, then at Bastion, then back to Newton. "YOU'RE the ones that did this!"

She quickly fumbled in her pocket for her wallet and flipped it open to show Newton her NWU approved journalist pass; a very official looking laminated pink card with her photo on it and a unique number that declared that yes, she was a journalist.

"I'm Keiko Daniels and I'm a reporter and people WILL miss me if I don't get back!" she babbled.

"Miss Daniels, please calm down. What are you accusing us of? Maybe we are investigating the same thing, ever thought of that?", Newton's voice was emotionless but his body language showed that he tried to sooth her.

Newton nodded to Bastion who left the room. The doors shut with the same sound the doors of a Star Trek vessel would making the whole situation even more unreal.

Keiko slipped off the bed and onto her feet, holding her press pass out between her and the silver man as if it was some kind of magic shield. She furtively looked around, but there was no way out that didn't involve going past him.

"Okay then," she responded cagily. "Why -did- you bring me here? And what -are- you investigating with the known Teragen superhacker Synapse?"

Newton almost laughed as he watched Keikos attempt to keep her distance to him, "We are just friends... and before you jump any conclusions. I'm not Teragen.", Newton kept his distance to her to make her feel more comfortable.

"We are trying to prevent a horrible accident and it has to do something with the Four Seasons Hotel. Someone or something is responsible for many deaths if we don't prevent it. Unfortunately we're still searching for clues...", Newton was holding back something.

Trying to prevent an accident...IS responsible for many deaths...if we do not prevent it. He was mixing tenses!

She opens her mouth to blurt...but just as quickly closes it. In the past, before her eruption, she'd been prone to talk without thinking. These days it was impossible for her mouth to move faster than she could think though.

"So..." she said slowly, "...what are you doing to stop it?"

besides going back in time and punching holes in time and making time all weird! her mind added silently.

Newton seemed to relax as Keiko was at least trying to cooperate. "We're trying to find the source of the accident and... well prevent it. I'm still not sure how, though. My theory involves two beings... a baseline meeting with someone... something else. The moment they connect... bye bye Manhattan. Now suddenly you appeared and we don't have a clue how or why. What have you been doing there, Ms. Daniels?"

"I didn't -appear-," Keiko claims. "I walked in the front door like anyone else."

Inside, she was reeling. Bye bye Manhattan?! Omega! This has got to be it!

"I came here because a...a good friend of mine, a nova, said she sensed some kind of disturbance here. So I came to investigate." Rather pleased with her cover story, Keiko dove in a little deeper. "She said it had something to do with time. And mentioned something called 'Omega.' Ring any bells?"

Damnit...she'd HAD to ditch her recorder! She makes a mental note to carry two from now on.

"Your friend is a Time-Manipulator?", Newton asked taking a look at the device in his hand and turning to one of the screens in the sick bay.

"You seem to have that potential, too. At least from your relative Quantum Signature. I didn't have enough time to anaylse you completely but I was assuming that you'd be capable of something like Time-Manipulation.", he came closer to her, obviously exited about the news.

"Omega does ring a bell... Project Proteus and some people I've met... or will meet...?", Newton's voice, though emotionless trailed off, as if he was trying to remember something. "Damn side effects!", he mumbled to himself.

"You can TELL that?" Keiko asks, startled in spite of herself. She peers at the screens, but has no idea what they mean.

"Okay, I can't divulge my sources, but I think this thing you're talking about, this bomb, it's called Omega...'the end,' get it? And it's something...yeah! Project Proteus! You know about that too?! That'll save a LOT of time..."

Keiko tucks her pass into her pocket, warming up to the conversation now that it's veered into her specialty.

"Alright, so I think Omega might be some kind of special nova, or group of novas, that Proteus either knows about or maybe MADE through genetic engineering...and now they've lost control! And they're here in New York! There's some kind of major temporal thing happening in the Four Seasons, and I'm not sure how it ties in, but it just has to, somehow."

Newton shook his head as if to clear his mind. "Ms. Daniels, can you manipulate Time?", he reached out for her shoulders almost touching her while his quicksilver eyes appeared to stare at her. "Everything else is secondary... can you manipulate time?"

Keiko scowled, but she was backed into a corner. She didn't want to lie...this guy seemed pretty on the level, despite his associations and general weirdness. And maybe she could help stop Omega!

"Strictly off the record," she answers, "...yes. A bit. But I'm trying to keep a low profile, and that's not possible if it gets out that I'm a nova, so pleeeease don't tell anyone."

"Perfect! You might be the one we need to finally make some real progress.", Newton's hands slid down Keikos arms as he realized that he had been almost shoving her.

"I've got access... to some.", he interrupted himself and started anew. "I need your help... desperately. I'm not good enough at this and time is virtually running out.", Newton was obviously forgetting completely about Keikos request.

Synner doesn't hesitate. Even though he doesn't know were he's sending everybody, he knows it. The portal opens and he screams out,
"Move it!"

Through the opening, they can see someplace they can recognize, even though they shouldn't know why. It's The Fool's subterranean sanctum.

The Fool peers into the immediate future to see if any of the guards or Shiva are going to try to stop them or if some kind of bomb or gas is going to go off in the room.

((OOC activate Foresight, take action as appropriate.))

(OOC - They are trying to stop you, but only in response to your action to leave through the portal. The Guards just outside the room try to open the door which seems to take a second or two. You still have the chance to go through the portal without starting a fight)

Sean isn't at all sure this is a good idea, but with the weirdness that is going on and with Mrs. Baxter summoning guards, he figures it is time to take a chance. He rushes through the opening and grabs a couple of his projectiles in his hands and holds them ready in case he needs to stop someone from following them.

Keiko cringes as Newton grabs her, half expecting her flesh to dissolve horribly under his weird, silvery skin. Even when it doesn't, his intensity is intimidating.

"I don't think you understand," she protests. "I can't travel through time. All I do is speed it up or slow it down. I don't think actually moving to different times is possible..."

Then she realized what she'd just said, and hastily amends, "Except for whatever time machine they have locked up in the Four Seasons that is."

Since everyone else was heading into the portal to make their escape, Nosferatu decided that it would prudent to follow. He wondered if he should stay in contact with his coven, in case he needed to sate his hunger. Somehow, that idea didn't seem new to him.

The other's find themselves in a sealed room, with walls made of brick. Softly playing orchestral music is piped in from somewhere. Any attempt to smash through the bricks find reinforced steel underneath. It appears to be a holding cell of some kind although the more astute and intelligent may realize that it's a sort of shielded teleportation "foyer."

Just as the warp is closing, the others hear over their radio commms (and in their heads).

"Apologies. I shan't be but a moment. One of us must stay here and find out what just happened."

Using foresight again and able to teleport at a moment's notice the Fool cocks his head at the flustered guards.

"Pray tell, Ms. Baxter. Just what is going on here?"

((If the gurads try and shoot him he will merely dodge. if his foresight indicates some kind of sealed room trap he vanishes and rejoins the others. Of course if she intends to answer him (and The Fool assumes she is monitoring), he will hear what she says ahead of time and simply depart if it is not to his satisfaction. The question itself is enough...))

Sean quickly removes the Teleportation device from his wrist and tosses it through the warp before it closes and onto the table. Looking at the others, "I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were a tracking device in that. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if there were one inside my body as well, but there's nothing I can do if that's true." He grins and then turns to examine the new surroundings.

Callum is caught in a rare moment of suprise, What the hell are they doing? What's going on? The room breaks out into commotion as ...What's his damn name ... as the warper opens a hole in space-time to some odd brick room. Sean quickly dive through tossing his odd watch back and Nosferatu does the same. Callum looks down at his own wrist and sees a similar device. He takes it off and drops it on the table but does not rise. As the gaurds enter the conference room with Ms. Baxter he asks, "What the hell is going on?"

Cherub gives into his urge to flee and follows the others through the gate.

(ooc: for the Fool - you can teleport right back if you want, the guards have no chance hitting you in time)



Ms. Baxter just entered the room as the Warp closed and the Fool reappeared seemingly out of nowhere. With her came the beast named Shiva and 2 heavily armed Guards with their Assault Rifles pointed each at The Fool and at Callum.

"I was about to ask you the same question Gentlemen. You've found a way to circumvent our defenses and surveillance measure and I'm just too eager to know how you managed to do it. Obviously some outside help was involved in your case. There are several high clearance items missing in our armory and... we can't track your location which is necessary to make emergency fall back teleports.", the last sentence was only a halftruth. "Something is absolutely not right here! And I want some answers, now!"

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



"That is not important. As long as you understand the nature of your power you should be able to do what I ask you with my help. There is no time machine locked up in the Four Seasons, I've got the time machine... though it's less a machine than you'd expect it to be. Let me show you.", he took her hand and guided her outside the sick bay along a large corridor which was in tune with the overall almost alien design. He stopped at the next door and turned around to look Keiko straight in the eyes. "Please promise to not freak out right away, ok? I know this must be extremely... disturbing for you. What you are about to see is a Nova in a state we call Chrysalis... she is getting more and more unstable as we speak. I fear time is not on our side.", he pushed a button next to the door and it opened with the familiar swooshing sound so well known from Star Trek movies.

Keiko nods and accompanies Newton, chatting animatedly as they walk.

"You don't have to worry about me freaking out. I was just startled earlier. Believe me, when you're a reporter like me, you see all kinds of weird things." She sighs with heavy regret. "I guess it sort of hardens you though, you know? Makes you all jaded and cynical and...OMIGOD WHATTHEHELLISTHAT?!"

The last exclamation comes from behind Newton where she crouches, nay cowers, at the sight of the flickering light of the Chrysalis.

After a second she peeks cautiously out and adds wonderingly, "Is...that a person? Is she -alive-?"

Newton nods slowly and said evenly, "Ms. Daniels, meet Caroline Fong, founding member of the Teragen. She is very much alive I would say. More than you can imagine."

He entered the room and went straight to a oddly shaped apparatus that was somehow connected with the Chrysalis coccoon of Caroline. He waved at Keiko, "I need you to interface with her using this... machine I built. Once you managed to get a connection you will feel an incredible surge of power, it feels like you could do virtually anything by just thinking about it. I want you to focus on the Four Seasons Hotel and check out the following days. What will happen and who is responsible. Once you identified the persons make a jump in time to yesterday. That should provide us with enough time to prevent the worst. And please... make sure we remember what we are doing. The nature of time seems to be constantly trying to correct itself if something "unusual" happens. Do you understand?"

Keiko stares at Fong's Chrysalis, then looks at Newton...then brightens.

"Wait! I think I already know that! Kind of! She was in the other split...the other...oh!" Keiko bashes her hands together several times, trying to demonstrate. "Floor twenty in the hotel, there was a woman in the other split, going to a door. The door opened and there was a blue flash and that's what knocked me out! But it wasn't where I was, it was in the other -side-. That must be what you're talking about. Maybe it was a sort of...gap between now, and the future! A skip in time...like a record jumping over a bad track."

"I'm not quite sure if I can follow you. I think it is impossible for you to have seen Caroline at the Four Seasons Hotel. I'm keeping her here in this room under surveillance for good reasons.", Newton reached with his hand to his head and rubbed his temples. "I just can't really point at why... we used to have a hideout in Nepal but that is gone... I'm not even sure if we ever had it. These jumps in time are messing with our memories."

"No no, not Caroline!" Keiko denies, shaking her head. Then something Newton said dings for a second, "Wow...Nepal? So...no! I mean...argh!"

She takes a breath and starts over.

"When I got to the twentieth floor, the time distortion seemed like two parallel...lines. The other one, the one I wasn't in, had this woman in it. She walked down the hallway, and I followed her. I got a pretty good look at her. Then a door opened, and suddenly this blue light just exploded out. And then nothing."

"Could that be what you're talking about? Maybe that woman was a nova who erupted or something!"

Callum gives Ms. Baxter a wry look. "Three-quarters of my team has either not shown up or just dove through a warp to who knows where. The last member is ..." he indicates the Fool, "Well he's batshit crazy but you know that. Frankly I'd like to know what's going on as well." He pauses before continuing, "I don't ever recall putting that on this morning."

"Your team?" The Fool cocks one "eyebrow" at Callum, stiffening at his abrasive attitude.

"Were I as "bat-shit-crazy" as you seem to enjoy saying I highly doubt I would have attained my current position."

He turns to Ms. Baxter.

"And for your information, I called for an emergency evacuation because my seven senses all told me something very unpleasant was about to occur. And now look...it has..."

"It would indeed seem as if something is amiss, for I have not yet visited the armory today, having arrived mere moments before your summons..."

Payton looks around the room at the few team members with him.

"Does anyone know what the Frak is happening," he says with a bit of an hysterical edge in his voice.
"Honestly, I can't remember working with any of you, but I have the strangest instinct that I've followed orders from some of you - like now."

"I can't really understand why I opened that portal and then jumped through it. I can only say it felt right. The danger felt real enough for me to act. Only now, away from the company, do I have my doubts about doing this. What will the company think?"

He sits down and puts his head in his hands.
"Why has everything become so screwed up?"

"I don't know what they will think Synner?" Nosferatu said to the warper. "While I have read parts of your file, I thought you were assigned to another team." A look of confused consternation crossed Nosferatu's face. "Yet here you are as part of our team."

"To quote you, Synner...everything IS screwed up. And I have no idea why."

“It’s possible but I’m not sure about that… Actually… I don’t think we’re looking for a nova… not in classical meaning. I need another day to decipher the hidden clues I left behind but I fear we may not have that much time. A few things are for sure though. First, you haven’t appeared before so something is completely different this time. Second, we are looking for something or someone Proteus created - but I don’t know its purpose., Third, there must be at least a second group of Novas, probably Proteus Agents that are trying to intervene. Does any of that ring a bell? If not, go ahead and make the jump and make sure we retain our memories.”, although Newton’s voice remained emotionless it was obvious that he was very passionate about the matter. He truly wanted to make a change.

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

In the meantime at the OC-Base





“This makes absolutely no sense, Gentlemen. The items missing in the armory are exactly those you are wearing. And as for your witty remark, Mr. X, there has been a breach of security and everything points directly at you to be responsible for it. Currently I’m the only person that decides whether we hear you out or just get rid of you and file this a failure. Your turn I suppose.”, Ms. Baxter was dead serious about what she said and behind her the sound of heavy boots approaching was not ignorable.

Keiko starts to answer...then realizes that these other things Newton's talking about are things she really doesn't know. There were hints, sure, in the things she'd seen and heard, but nothing that would help a concrete search. Besides...actual time travel! How could she say no?

"Okay," Keiko says. "How does it work?"

„Just stand here, the machine will scan you and I will help you attune yourself with Caroline. Once the connection has been made… well, prepare yourself for the ride of your live. Just remember and stay focused on the task… even though the power you are about to wield is tempting there are more important things at hand. Are you ready?”

Keiko gulps nervously and grabs her necklace out of habit, twisting the little seashells between her fingers.

"I...guess..."

She hesitates, but finally steps up to the machine.

Callum smiles, "OK so we are at am impasse, neither of us can explain why I have something I shouldn't. That said if I were guilty of knowingly taking something that I shouldn't have wouldn't I have fled? Granted I've no idea where the others have gone to though I suspect he may." He points to the Fool. "That said I'm willing to cooperate here, you know my background, you know that I have more at stake than just myself. I want answers and I want to stay alive and employed."

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Ms. Baxter furrowed her brows as she frowned when suddenly the black whirling figure of The Fool teleported right next to her. A startled look of confusion crossed her face and with a female yelp she tried to jump backwards to escape the Fool’s grasp.

At the same time the two Guards standing at attention on the door raised their weapons one aiming at the Fool the other one at Callum, green laser pointers dancing precisely on their heads right where the M-R Node would be. Just before the Fool managed to grab Ms. Baxter and retreat with her his nimble whirling body suddenly freezed in mid action. Before his body collapsed to the floor he got caught by a prancing four-armed beast that had been informally introduced as Shiva and with a satisfied growl the beast proceeded to tear at the Fool’s prone body.

Callum could not see what was happening but it looked like a starving predator was set loose on a helpless prey. Ms. Baxter had some trouble remaining calm and set her eyes on Callum yelling at him, “Down, on the floor face down with you. Hands on your back, DO IT NOW!”

Newton helped her to position herself within the machines specified space and put something vaguely appearing like a VR-Helmet on Keiko’s head. Then he took her hands and reached carefully for Caroline’s chrysalis induced body. Keiko could feel the energy flowing through her and it immediately activated her node putting her in a state of Temporal Awareness unlike she had ever experienced before. The room started spinning in seemingly infinite layers as Keiko witnessed all the possible outcomes depending on which action she chose to take. For a short moment she felt almighty but reminded herself that she had an important task to fulfil.

Keiko closed her eyes and concentrated on The Four Seasons Hotel. The building appeared in her minds eye again overlapping in endless layers. It would have been virtually impossible for someone to see a difference or actually reaching out to any of the frames but Keiko’s awareness expanded to a degree she never thought possible. Each timeframe provided her with detailed information about the people and their actions, their past and their immediate future. Amongst the endless possibilities Keiko saw herself stumbling through the corridor of the 20th Floor just before she passed out. All the Timeframes directly surrounding it looked promising… she just needed to reach out and touch the frame she wanted to jump to.

(PM to SalmonMax)