"Please do not disturb the hologram," the hologram spoke after Cyco waved her hand through it.

It turned to Necronaut. "Speaking with dead: ability not on file. Circumstance unanticipated. Unable to respond."

Then it turned to Radiance. "Hard light holograms detected. Using visual analysis mode. Caution. Visual analysis is imperfect and data retrieved is limited."

The probes washed over the hard light holograms.

Not in Database
Not in Database
Flagged: Requires High Level Access
Flagged: Requires High Level Access
Alert: 72% Chance of Goldsmith Technology Detected

The probes focused on the ruby sphere of AEGIS-1 that Radiance was projecting a holograph of, and also on the flaming headed form of the Mathemagician.

"What does this 'Order' do with prototype technology designated RUBY-9 and EMERALD-6?"

Hex shakes her head. "They don't call them that. 'Ruby nine' they called Aegis 1, and they use it to protect themselves or people they're concerned someone might try to hurt...officials and so on. Emerald six...that's what they call the Mathemagician." She pauses.

"I think that's what they used to change the world. When we got our powers, it was because someone managed to 'hack' the Mathemagician."

"You see...while you've been in this vault, cut off from the world, the Order rewrote history. There's this...gap now, that no one can remember anything from, and all material from is confiscated, and all records of are deleted. No one but the Order knows what happened then, but...I think it may be a period of time that begins when these kinds of powers were first publicly known, up until the time that the Order managed to make sure no one but themselves had these powers. Or up until the moment they were able to take control."

"But really, all we have to work by is educated guesses and a few vague clues. That's why we're here. We figured out the Order was hiding something in this building...something that they were planning to get rid of. We thought it might be contraband information, or some kind of threat to them. Something we could use."

She shrugs. "Turns out, it was you. They've been trying to hack into you. We got into the building, fought off the guards, and in the process accidentally set off your security."

Scowling at the reprimand, she thumbed over at Hex, "What she said."

Bloody thing didn't even acknowledge what I said.

Cyco zipped over by Bodhie, feeling more comfortable next to the massive woman should the overrated flashlight decide to throw some more 'security' at them.

Bodhie was mostly relieved that things didn’t escalate. Cyco was way too nervous or maybe her body was faster than her mind. That thought made her chuckle actually and she almost laughed at Cyco’s attempt to apologize to Radiance. It would take a while before they merged into a team a new eachothers perks and abilities but one thing was for sure, Bodhie would always keep an eye out for Cyco, even though she long lost hope of ever catching up with the speedster…

Just as she finished that thought Cyco flashed next to her as if to seek protection. The large female body builder nodded satisfied at her friend and winked at her before she focused her concentration back to the Goldsmith… or whatever the thing was they were talking to.

„I don’t know how everybody else feels like, but when this song got played it felt to me like a veil was lifted… it’s hard to explain but I could feel that something was different, that something important had changed…“, Bodhie wasn’t sure if that made any sense but maybe the machine-thing could make something of that?

Sharatur shakes her head, wondering why she keeps feeling so contrary. "Okay look, we've answered your questions. Who--what are you? What is your purpose? Who do you serve? Can you help us" the words are surprisingly hard for her. She swallows and forces herself to say them with only a slight pause "destroy the Order? If so, how? And finally" this time, her pause is deliberate and pointed, "why should we trust you? Enemy of my enemy isn't really good enough for me."

The Necronaut took this exchange, and the brief upset over Radiance's illusions in stride. For one thing, he felt pretty safe with one foot in the land of the dead, and for another there was something sort of comforting about the holigram's clinical distance. Even if it did turn out to be an enemy, it probably wouldn't be smug or malicious about it and that was more than could be hoped of the Order. He was going to hang back and let others do the talking, until something started scratching at the back of his mind... he pondered it for a moment, and then spoke cautiously.

"So, um, not-deceased mechanical Goldsmith, we aren't exactly sure why the Order was trying to break in here, but they were trying really hard. And if Aegis and the Mathemagician are the same kind of tech, it's a good bet they'd love to use everything in here to tighten up their global domination business even more. What I mean to say is, um, (this is awkward), we probably shouldn't let you fall into their hands... Unless we can take you with us or you can self-destruct it's pretty important that there's nothing here they can salvage when we're done. Um. If that's ok with you. They may be on their way already so yeah, better start telling us anything really important right now."

The hologram was still for a moment. Then it spoke.

"This program was created by the Goldsmith to assess who may access his personal vault should he be killed or incapacitated. Scanners have indicated that your statements are truthful. This program cannot provide direct assistance. It can provide indirect assistance, however.

"Heuristic analysis indicates Tier 1 access is the best course of action without input from the Goldsmith or another full-access user." There was the sound of sliding bolts, and a small box about the size of a steamer trunk was pushed through the ruby wall. "Tier 1 grants access to the basic equipment the Goldsmith provided to superheroes."

The box was gold-plated and looked like a jewel-encrusted hi-tech loom. "The L.O.O.M. system uses commonly available materials to create special memory-weave cloth that can adapt to most cataloged superhuman abilities. The L.O.O.M. system will also create special masks that obscure retinal and biometric scans whilst allowing for the maximum range of visual acuity. It has stored material enough for the group of you.

"In addition, Tier 1 users may choose to engage the self-destruct system on the vault, or move the vault as they choose. It weighs several dozen tons. It is sixty-five feet long by forty feet wide by twenty feet high. To access Tier 2 equipment, including classified experimental technologies and the historical archive, you will need an individual with higher level access - "

"You know anything about Iron Gates?" said Blackjack suddenly.

"The words 'iron gates' do not have a specific reference in this program beyond the dictionary definitions." The Goldsmith looked at Blackjack.

Blackjack just stared into nothing. "Just heard them say the 'user' was at Iron Gates before all the shooting began, is all. It's new to me, too. Go on."

"What do you know about this user?"

"Just that they exist."

"What do you know about the Goldsmith?"

"Gonna guess, real name Marcus Gold, owner of the Cardinal building in Seattle?"

"Correct. Near-certain probability that this information is known to those trying to access the vault. Therefore there is a high probability that this user is Marcus Gold's daughter, Jasmine Gold."

"Sounds like we ought to look for her, then. This 'Iron Gates,' too. But first: what do we do with the vault? Think we can move it out of the city?" Jack turned to the others as he spoke.

Bodhie's eyes widened as she saw the wondrous machine going into action. The L.O.O.M. system especially caught her attention and she carefully approached it unsure what or how to actually use it. "Ahm... I'd like to have one of those suits and masks, it's bloody annoying to find new clothes each time I grow...", the oversized female bodybuilder wasn't sure if she should address the hologram or the 'machine' itself but she did really want one of those memory-weave cloth-thingies.

Then the Goldsmith mentioned something about the vault and that they could move it. She looked around trying to estimate if she could pick up the vault or remove the AEGIS-1 like thing blocking the entrance. Looking at the others Bodhie raised an eyebrow asking, "Want me to have a try if I can move that thing?", she was feeling confident and it would be nice to know where her limits actually was.

"Muscles, hold up," Cyco said, zipping over and putting a hand on Bodhie, "Let's finish our biz and chattin' it up before we go unpluggin' the thing and carryin' it around like a boombox."

Cyco was just as eager as Bodhie for some superclothes, even if she was miffed at the hologram for being snippish at her and pretty much ignoring everything she said. She almost felt like standing in the hologram out of spite, but she wasn't sure that she wouldn't be dissolved by the light if she stayed too long.

She turned towards the hologram, "So how do we use the Loom? Is it voice activated? How specific do we have to be? I mean, I don't want to walk around in an impervious gunny sack..."

Hex, for her part, turned away from the others as she racked her brains. Ever since the thing had said they could move it she'd been trying to think...but it was so big! And heavy! Where could they possibly put it?

On sudden impulse she opened the Book of Keys, hoping against hope for some answer within.

(OOC - I'm thinking...what about a Ritual? Something like a few ranks of Dimensional Pocket, with the Continuous modifier, to sink the Vault into a pocket universe until we work something better out. Would that be a valid ritual? If so, could I spend a Hero Point to develop it quickly? :))