"Sarah Swath..."

Naomi briefly considers the list of people who were present. She's definitely not Justy. Probably not the Shadow guy, who already said he was Shadow. That left the two girls, one of whom was hanging around and protecting the others, and... Ah yes, Eiffel 65.

"...You must be the girl in the hoodie, right? Well, the other girl in the hoodie. Well, my name's Naomi, for what it's worth. Anyway, Justy leapt to our defence against Mr. Bear and Edgelord McScythedude. The others were backing him up. I decided to see what I could learn about them, and it turns out that they were mercenaries who were paid to kill us, they didn't seem to have instructions to spare anyone in the group - so I think we should be trustworthy - and they didn't know each other all that well either. After that, I gave everyone else my phone number so we could contact each other on our own terms. You're the second to call, as it turns out. Justy was the first, shortly after the President gave his statement, and he was talking about flying up to the White House to demand accountability and all that... I tried to persuade him not to do something which could be mistaken for an air raid of the nation's capital, but I don't know how effective it was..."

Psyche's voice trails off, and then she continues.

"Are you alright? I lost sight of you after that skirmish in the park..."

Anathema's image in the smooth plastic grins back at him. "Anathema... but that's so stuffy and formal. You can call me Anna! It's delightfully palindromic~!" She sing-songs that last sentence, giggling happily. "I can occupy a space a couple kilometers in diameter, but I feel like I can push it much further in time! So exciting!"

The image of Anna looks left and right, searching for a larger reflective surface to step out from. "There is a lake about half a mile south of you. Er... south? Southeast? It's a big puddle and you can fly, you can figure it out, haha~!" She sticks a finger out of the screen and waggles it at him, but can't squeeze any more of her body out of such a small window. "See you in the meat soon! Ta~!" She walks offscreen, and soon Justin's own face fades back in.

"Are you alright? I lost sight of you after that skirmish in the park..."

"I don't know.  I don't think I'm handling this well at all." Sarah said.  "I... I left the Olympic team.  One of my endorsements withdrew.  One's in formal review.  Not sure about the others.  And now this government thing.  After twelve years, I knew it had to end... but this isn't how I envisioned it.   Shut out and blue--literally.

"I've got friends.  family, even.  If some freak is already trying to kill us, then what's the right action?  It always feels like there's a choice between the right thing and the prudent thing.

What are you going to do? 

For a moment, Naomi is glad that she's nowhere near Fathom, because she has the reflexive urge to try and read her to see what's going on, and the last time she actively did that to Fathom, she got that snarly response. What was up with that, anyway?

So she forces herself to think and focus, work with what she already knows - you can't just go around raiding people's surface thoughts whenever you're stuck! - and puts two and two together. Olympic-class athlete. Abandoned by sponsors. Government. Shut out. She must be feeling pretty high and dry now, especially after she ran away from the one group of people who might have been accepting to her. Well, Naomi understands why she might feel that way, but it's not like her opinion is the same as everyone else's.

In other words, Miss Blue must be feeling really lonely right now and Naomi - having been in that situation not just a few weeks ago - is uninclined to leave things as they are.

"Alright, so... I take it you heard the President's speech just now, saying that he's calling on all powered individuals to join that ART thing. In your case, at least, I think it's a great opportunity. The President just told the nation that people like us aren't bad people, which ought to go a long way toward making us more accepted and welcome."

Deep breath. Then, she continues.

"I'm afraid I don't follow sports so closely so I'm not aware of the finer details of being an athlete, but I know being on the Olympic team means you're world-class and something to be rightfully proud of, so having that taken away from you by something you had no control over sucks and I'm really sorry it happened."

A pause. This part might come off as patronizing, but it really needs to be said.

"However, that doesn't have to be the end of it. I'm pretty sure there are other athletes who've been empowered like you, and if having your powers puts you in a class of your own, then maybe the people in charge should organize one? Like, the enhanced athletes Olympics or something. People change, and so does the world. And you could be on the forefront of that change. I'm sure pros and amateurs don't compete in the same leagues, so maybe they just have to add another league. And you could be part of that. I'm still not sure what you can do, but even with your powers, you're still the same world-class athlete; and if you did it before with hard work and determination, I'm pretty sure you can do it again."

Naomi winces. Hopefully she didn't come off as too naggy there.

"Um. Anyway. For security, I think it might be best if you joined that ART thing, made yourself as public as possible. I mean, you're an Olympic athlete, that kind of makes you a national symbol anyway. It would be in the government's interests to protect such a symbol. Those guys who attacked us were mercenaries, and they probably won't take jobs which are too risky, like say, attacking someone with the equivalent of the Secret Service or the FBI keeping an eye on them 24/7. I'm personally considering joining myself for similar reasons. Like, if they're forcing us to go on the defensive, might as well hole up in a fortress rather than on open ground, you know?"

As she says this, she heads downstairs to the kitchen and telekinetically pours herself a glass of water from the kettle before taking a drink.

"Sorry for monologuing at you. I just want you to know that you can talk to me if it bothers you."

And Justy too, she thinks, apologizing mentally to the lad for hanging up on him so abruptly.

In reply to Anathema (msg # 75):

Star Phoenix smiled, "It is nice to meet you Anathema / Anna, I'm Star Phoenix / Justin... my friends call me 'Justy'."

He listened to her and got a curious expression on his face, "...you can use ANY reflective surface?"

Gesturing he creates a solid plasma construct of a floating disc paper thin but 6feet in diameter tweaking the construct to possess a very mirror quality reflective surface in the visible light portion of the EM spectrum.


Action: Standard - Use Create Power
”Solid Plasma Constructs {Create}”: 6 (Alternate; Bludgeoning, Cosmic, Elemental, Force, Heat, Light, Quantum Forces, Radiant, Radiation; Range 150/300/600’ft; Volume: 60 cuft., DC 16; Innate [1rk], Movable [+1rk/Lvl], Stationary [1rk]; Tether [+1rk])

"Can you sense the reflective Disc, I just created?"

Anna cocks her head and winces a little. "Sense... sort of? It is like looking into a light bulb." The object that Justy created is radiating too much of its own light and energy which is dominating any reflections it might otherwise have had; it felt like stepping through it would be like detouring through the surface of the Sun and that did not seem altogether pleasant.

He chuckled, "Interesting!?!  Ok, sorry... I'm on my way!", with a thought he dismissed the construct...

Star Phoenix powered up forming his costume... which also made him wonder at the physics of his powers... perhaps his 'costume' was also solidified plasma?

Taking flight it was only a few seconds of flight to the lake his fiery phoenix aura bright in the sky as he came to hover over the lake's surface to hover at the body of water's center-most spot.

There he hovered about 5 feet above its surface causing steam to slowly rise from its surface from the heatwash of his fiery flight aura.

Extending his will he created another disc 1 inch thick and 10'ft wide of solid plasma some 2 feet above the watery surface where he landed to stand atop the platform as he dismissed his flight aura the fiery effect vanishing allowing Anathema / Anna a place to stand when she arrived where he would not be burning her.  Star Phoenix looked into the lake an waited for Anathema to appear...

The lake stopped steaming...

To any on the shore watching, a fiery phoenix had swooped down upon the surface of the lake which suddenly stopped being made of flames but only light out of which a man coalesced into view standing upon a suddenly appearing circular 'plate' of yellow "glass" floating motionless above the surface of the lake. The man was at the center of the bird of light clearly emitting from the man standing there.

In short like nothing they'd ever seen before!
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Sat 23 Apr 2022.

In reply to Psyche (msg # 77):

Sarah let the silence draw on far longer than she probably should have.  Naomi's words resonated well, and Sarah didn't think that the other girl was working an angle or, for that matter, even had a direct agenda that involved her.  Paranoia doesn't need to be all-encompassing.

"No, it's okay."  she said after a while.  "I just... "  Sarah trailed off, mulling it over. "That is a really good idea.  A Asynchronous competition league.  Or something."

"I got into swimming because it allowed me to work out my aggression and it gave me a bubble of solitude, you know?  A social shield against all the demands, the idiotic squabbles and utterly mundane minutia that crowds out real progress, real development.  I forget sometimes, that no-one ever really blazed a trail alone."

"I'm meeting with the reps." Sarah said.  "Don't know when yet.  But I've got to confirm that I've still got my lawyers on retainer."

She could feel the tension ease up as a new direction opened up to her, allowing her to focus on someone other than herself for a change.  "So... what about you?  What do you want, out of all this?"

"It sounds like swimming is really important to you," Naomi nods. She's actually a little envious; she's never really had anything to devote herself to like that. I guess that's why she's an Olympic athlete and I work part time in a maid cafe, she thinks.

"As for what I want out of this... Well, as you can imagine my world was flipped upside down the moment these powers showed themselves. I guess I'm just doing what most people would do when the rug gets pulled out from under them - trying to find my feet. On the whole though, I think it's been a good thing; I just need to get used to it, establish a new normal, that sort of thing. That said, the new normal might involve joining the ART, and who knows what THAT will lead to...

In reply to Psyche (msg # 82):


"Yeah.  I can't imagine what it must be like to be able to look inside other people's head.  I can see a lot of people wanting to restrict those of us with other-than-normal, well, baseline abilities.   But that's never going to end well.  You can't ask someone to never use the tools at their disposal...."

"So, maybe those of us who join the ART at the beginning... maybe we get to shape it and actually define what it means and what it does..." That sort of appealed to her.  The idea of universal respect appealed to her.

--
Oh, I get to coin the term "baseline"... a throwback to Aberrant, from way back in the day...

"That's a thought. I wish I could have told Justy that - he's a little rough around the edges, but his heart's in the right place, and he's really big on that righteousness and fairness stuff. Plus, you've seen how powerful he is. I think that if he could set an example for the rest of the ART, maybe it could turn out to be a pretty good organization after all."

Naomi nods to herself.

"It's sounding better the more I think about it. I still think I want to sleep on the decision, but I'm kind of leaning towards it myself."

When the Sun raised again over Penmore city, the inhabitants woke up with the news of the last Presidential allocution. The White House had only added that many things where still being decided, notably the extend of the ART’s jurisdiction, it’s funding or the working status of powered individuals.
One thing was repeated, that any crime committed by Async would be judged like it, but experts agreed that the government would probably go for extreme severity to make examples.

For five Asyncs in the city, the new day was busy. Fathom did her press conference and things did go pretty much well; the journalists were still recovering from the shock of the last new that none of them really tried to push an agenda. She soon received a message from a governmental agent to meet for talking about her potential participation to the ART.

Phoenix toyed with the idea to go directly to the White House but ended putting his plan on hold before Anthema called him with a strange idea.

[OOC: I resumed a little your last post and tried to put them in order.
Next post: 03/05.]

Romancing the Stone

The water below sparkled slightly as the only clue anything out of the ordinary was happening when Anathema’s image coalesced in the water below as if she were in a reflected mirror surface.  Then the mirror reflection exited the surface as she flew up to set foot tentatively upon to solid plasma platform.

Star Phoenix gave the lovely and naked woman of blue glowing circuitry overlaying her skin an appreciative nod then focuses solely upon her eyes... now knowing what to expect.

There like two divinities perched upon the solid disk of light discussed Anathema’s proposal to retrieve the possible source of their superhuman powers which he pondered seriously and nodded in agreement that the source needed to be secured before someone else did for unknown potentially nefarious purposes.

Justy, suggested flying there directly and retrieving it now.. but Anathema suggested the possibility that their powers might not be able to do so, a backup manual mundane retrieval plan might want to be organized just in case.  Star Phoenix found that a prudent course of action and pulled out his regular smart phone and after minutes of Goggle searches and identified several ships with crews with the needed skills and resources to perform such a sea retrieval.  But such would take at least two or more days to arrange.  Making some called for almost a 30 minutes he got a ship and crew in motion to begin preparation for the retrieval.  It was not cheap to arrange but his wealth though strained could accommodate it, as what needs did he really have other than rent at his apartment which was not due for another few weeks?

With the mundane wheels put in motion the two decided to try an immediate attempt with powers to see if the stone could be retrieved with their powers immediately.

Star Phoenix formed a shaped and comfortable fitted acceleration seat out of solid plasma; even the seats were malleable soft and cushiony to sit in for Anathema.  Then he encased the seat in a bubble of solid light with an attached harness from him to fit over his shoulders.  His constructs, currently, do not create moving parts as much as shapeable fields of force. Though he could form shaped limbs or geometric objects that he could animate... being carried by a disembodied fist of yellow solid plasma/light was not very dignified a seat was more appropriate for a journey of indeterminate length.  He opened breathing holds on the rear of the air tight bubble away from his fiery flight aura to allow her to breathe easily.

Anathema seated and contained ~ protected from his fiery flight power and his rapid acceleration Star Phoenix donned the harness and activating his flight his fiery aura licked at the solid plasma construct but did not burn it or the woman seated inside.

The solid plasma disc they had been standing upon was dismissed with a thought and off into the sky Star Phoenix accelerated into the air... out over the city carrying with his Star Powered Strength his burden out over the city heading for the Seaboard coast.

At Anathema’s direction he altered course... heading for the Impact location out at sea off shore.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:22, Sun 01 May 2022.

After a brief introduction Anna had once again donned the gray leather trench coat she had stolen off some well-to-do woman. She didn't like this garment so much; it was heavy and constricting and didn't really cut a proper goddessy figure, but she had nothing better.

She and Justy had what seemed to be a good conversation and a solid foundation for a future working relationship. She knew that the cosmicly-inclined man would understand the importance of retrieving the sacred sky-stone! From there, the conversation turned to practicalities. Anna was worried that their precious mother-rock could function like a kryptonite for their abilities; she isn't exactly sure what kryptonite was, but she had observed many nerds arguing passionately about it as superpowers had started to emerge in the world. Thus, it was she who suggested that a conventional salvage crew be assembled. Anna would have preferred a crew motivated by her divine mission and the purity of their cause, but Justy had dollars, many many dollars, and for reasons she didn't fully understand having a lot of dollars was almost as good as loyalty. What a strange world this was!

Justy still seemed to want to try a superpowered retrieval however, and lamented that the girl with the water powers had hung up on him. "Well of course she did!" she laughed at him. "You're talking about going into a confrontation with the ruling caste without even solidifying your position first! You gotta have a plan, man~!" And collecting the meteorite was the first step to having a plan. It would be nice, Anna supposed, to have a child with actual water powers along for an underwater retrieval. But I have no way of finding her! Justy objected. Anna smiled mysteriously. For her, this would only be a moment.

Finding a blue girl ought to have been fairly easy, and it was. Her face was all over the local news. Anna debated the means by which she should introduce herself, and decided that teleporting directly into her bedroom while she was in the shower was expedient, prudent, and would have no diplomatic consequences whatsoever.

---

"Hi!" Anna cheerily greets Fathom after having unwittingly broken into her bedroom with the both of them in the buff. "Can we talk?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:35, Tue 03 May 2022.

In reply to Anathema (msg # 87):

Justy shook his head, "I DID have a plan, but she didn't wait long enough to liste~", then it occurred to him Anathema had already vanished... also not waiting to listen.

He pondered perhaps he should just DO and not bother to try to consult or voice his plans as no one really seemed interested in listening just assuming they knew what he was proposing.  He shrugged and lowered the solid plasma seat carriage to the ocean surface and created another Solid plasma disk of semi-transparent light turning his fiery flight off to wait upon for her return knowing she'd just seek him out through the reflections in the watery ocean surface.

In reply to Anathema (msg # 87):

Anna debated the means by which she should introduce herself, and decided that teleporting directly into her bedroom while she was in the shower was expedient, prudent, and would have no diplomatic consequences whatsoever.

OOC: Haha snort gurgle. bwahaha.

Even before the change into this... what was she, a mermaid?  Yeah, sure, sit around on rocks and lure men to their doom with her... nope.  no singing voice worth noting.  Even before the change, there were few things Sarah enjoyed more than a long hot shower.  And Suki's family had a heat on demand set-up which meant that the nearly scalding heat could go on nearly forever, easing the anxiety and tension out of her bones.

What she needed, she thought unbidden, was a chance to really go to town on someone... She'd spent enough time in martial arts to know that she was a quick learner and had some skill.  But she had no clue what her strength was like.  She had a slightly lower center of gravity now and her body just felt wrong.

She pondered this as she emerged from the shower.  She pat-dried her legs and torsos, more out of respect for the Kaur family than anything else.  And she padded into the bedroom.  Silk.  she thought.  The cottons and wools she used to wear all seemed heavier and more scratchy somehow.

As she dried her hair, this voice came out of nowhere, far too cheerful for having snuck into some place where--again noone was supposed to be able to find her!  Jesus, what would it take to be alone?

"Hi!" Anathema cheerily greets Fathom after having unwittingly broken into her bedroom with the both of them in the buff. "Can we talk?"

Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin, and backed up hurriedly, knocking over a standing lamp in the process. She reached out to grab it before it fell too far, immediately over-extending, and knocking a decorative vase teetering on the edge of the lip of the hallway entry.  "Ack!"  she exclaimed, then Nrglgrmph!. as she stuck out a foot to try to forestall the vase spinning off into the hallway to shatter against the wall.  It was a kajillion years old, after all!

Finally, when she had the vase settled and the lamp stabilized by it's cord, she managed to stop, one leg out, one arm over her head, the other wrapped behind her back and perched against the far wall.   She was half wet and resembled nothing more than a figure in a Greek satire.  And she was still naked. "Who the..." she turned to round on the newcomer.  If it's a paparazzi, I'll get my wish! she snarled inwardly.  But it wasn't paparazzi.   It was the circuitry girl.

"Gertrude?" Sarah shook her head and slowly eased the vase back into place.  "You've got three seconds before I unpretzel myself."    Yeah, that sounded confident and threatening.   But she eventually resumed a posture a little less... revealing.  "I'm... I think I'm glad you survived." she said once she'd regained some relative semblance of dignity.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:19, Thu 05 May 2022.

Anathema didn't have the heart to interfere in the spectacularly adorable display unfolding in front of her, although some more calculating part of her gestalt consciousness monitored that vase carefully and was ready to step in if it looked like it was about to meet a grisly fate. Fortunately, its intervention was not required!

"So cuuuute~!" she squeed once more in undignified fashion.

Anathema giggles softly to herself before standing up to her impressive six-foot-two-inches height. "Nope, not Gertrude! Anathema!" She declares, sticking a hand on one hip and making a V with the other which she uses to frame one of her glowing eyes like she thinks she's Sailor Moon. "But you can call me Anna! Or 'Goddess' I suppose, but stuffy formality is ick and ew and stuff."

"Anywhoodles!" she swiftly moves on. "Sunfire birdman and I are planning to retrieve the superpower meteor before any corporate or political interests can get their nasty little claws on it. We sure could use your abilities. And also, whoever hired those two bozos is probably still out there and until we figure out what makes us special it's probably good we stick together. I know you don't like the guy very much -- he is impulsive and monologues a lot -- but I do think he means well, and with a firm yet feminine hand I think we can steer him towards good things! What do you say, my child? Want to join our holy quest for the mighty space rock?" She moves one hand to her sternum and holds out the other, bridal-style, to the other woman.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:57, Fri 06 May 2022.

In reply to Anathema (msg # 90):

"I don't dislike the guy... what was it?  Star Phoenix."  Fathom said. "I don't know him well enough to dislike him."  She crossed the floor to sit on the corner of the bed.

"I do dislike being condescended to.  I'm not some lost little lamb looking for a messiah."  Fathom shook her head suddenly.   Too many memories. "Sorry.  Long story. Not your problem."

She laid the towel down, sat on it, and began sorting through the small pile of clothes that she'd laid out earlier, picking up one piece at a time and turning it back and forth, feeling the fabric.  She seemed utterly unconcerned or unfazed by her own or Anathema's nudity.    Lycra was good. Satin too.  But silk was what she'd set her mind to.  Yeah, a shopping trip was definitely in order.  Even her proportions were different now!

Then, after finally picking a little pale cyan camisole and tap set, she nodded to Anathema, grateful for the circuitry-woman's apparent patience.   "I am interested in finding out who hired those goons.  Do you really think the meteorite is the cause of all this?  Are there others looking for it?  What about Naomi--err--Psyche.  Did you talk to her?" 

Then, after a moment, "And, how'd you find me, anyway?  I had to bust my ass to get attention as an athlete.  But as soon as I turn blue, I can't get any privacy.  Hell, this isn't even my place!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:38, Fri 06 May 2022.

Anathema chuckles. "Yeah that whole children of god, holy father crap rubs me the wrong way too. I guess I need to work on my ironic presentation, huh?"

She is happy to wait. Why should she be bored when she is in a thousand places at once? She is watching a dozen news reports, families eating, couples making passionate love, pretty girls and nerdy boys streaming to the intertubes, and learning way more than she ever wanted to know about the hygiene regimes of the city's populace. She also watches and inspects the young woman in the room with her Prime Instance. She carefully examines her gills, her prominent vertebrae, the skin stretched between her fingers. Some Impacteers were far more prominently affected than others, it seemed.

Was Anathema herself an impacteer? She could not remember being anything other than what she is, which made it all too easy to imagine that she had come down with the meteor to spread warm, motherly goddess-light on this lost little world that is so lost as to not even realize they need a messiah... though she is not so arrogant as to think of herself in such terms, and wouldn't if Cute Blue hadn't put the idea in her head.

Anathema blinks and starts a little as her Prime Instance is addressed again. She snaps back into mono-instanced thinking and smiles beatifically. "Popular opinion says the meteorite is the cause and I feel it to be true in my core," she says, pressing her fingertips into her sternum over her heart to illustrate the point. Her metallic skin ripples and glows a soft cyan as it is distorted by the pressure. "You are the second I talked to. Naomierpsyche -- odd name! -- did not seem directly relevant to the quest, so I thought I would visit her once the magic space rock was secure."

And, how'd you find me, anyway? "I'm a goddess, you silly goose~" she says coyly, and glances to the bedroom mirror.

The reflection in the mirror waves back, independently from the image it is supposedly reflecting, and distinguished by a different-colored glow in its eyes. "We are everywhere."

"We see everything~" singsongs a pale reflection in the bedroom window.

"No secrets can be kept from Us," a voice calls from the bathroom.

"That must be a great responsibility."  Fathom said carefully.  "Knowing that one ill-placed revelation could lead to utter disaster."

Fathom was an apostate, herself.  Her "outing" had led to her family disowning her.  She was certain that religious perception was going to be a central issue in the days to come.  If one had the powers of a god, was one really beholden to the laws of baseline man?

The world needed people to help ease the transition into this new reality.  They needed people with insight and empathy.  They needed people like Naomi.  And--maybe--herself.  "But, yeah.  Having Psyche on board would be an asset.  She has a serious edge on insight and negotiations.  And, trust me, you're going to need someone with people skills."

She didn't even know whether Psyche would want to be in on this.   But perhaps a less conflicted interaction with these others would allow them a better beginning. Like as not, they were going to be dealing with each other a lot in the future.  And being able to examine the meteorite... well, it would give them a powerful political position from which to deal with everyone...

"In a better, more beautiful and honest world there would be no need for secrets," Anathema notes, a mote of sadness creeping into her voice.

Anathema nods at the subtle accusation that she herself does not have people skills. "Oh, definitely. I'm, like, super smart but I'm also wacky and guileless and I know how seriously people stress over that whole professional demeanor thing. Utter nonsense if you ask me, but... well, you didn't." She smiles. "I am certain that anyone who would moniker themselves Psyche would be a wonderful asset. Do you have her beep-boop or would you like me to find her?" When she says beep-boop she mimes typing on a smartphone and holding it up to her ear. Badly. One her reflections holds up an actual phone, although the back is labeled iPhony.

"Let me."  Fathom said.  She didn't say that she needed Psyche on-board for her own benefit.  Curious that of the five Asynchs she'd met, the one who could talk inside her head was the one she trusted the most.  Empathy.

"Oh,. you mean, like, right now.."  she faltered for a moment.   "Okay, hold on..."

And when Naomi answered, her intro was, "So... I have this circuit-lady standing with me.  She and the firefly are going hunting for the meteorite they feel is the cause of everything.  Actually, we're going hunting for it.  Any chance you wanna come on an adventure?  'Cause I think I'd really like to have you along..."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:54, Sun 08 May 2022.

Naomi is actually sketching up designs for a superhero costume when Fathom reaches her. Summoning the cell phone is second nature now, and she even manages to telekinetically hold it beside her ear as she continues drawing.

"So... we're going meteorite hunting? That sounds neat. As for whether I'd like to come along..."

She glances at David, who's engaged in the laborious process of snipping out, filing down and piecing together the pieces of a huge model kit (seriously, if she curled up she could probably fit inside the box) and nods to herself.

"Before I say yes, do you know how long you'll be taking? Any idea where you'll be looking? And what are you going to do if or when you find it?"

"A week at the most, probably less, possibly much less," Anathema whispers.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:54, Sun 08 May 2022.

Star Phoenix pondered Anethema's absence... he wanted to be doing something useful... using his powers to help... and decided he'd waited long enough.  Let her search for him in reflections again... it was time for him to act.
He ignited his flight aura and lifted off the solid plasma platform and disc he'd created.  With a thought he dismissed them in a burst of light.

Pulling out his cell phone in its solid plasma sheath, he called up his GPS got a direction and distance to Washington DC.  His own natural absolute direction and distance senses took over and he knew which way to go...

The fiery phoenix burst into the sky and tore across the skies seeking the eastern seaboard at a velocity well over mach 2... Justy was certain he would be spotted by strategic air command hopefully he'd get to his destination before he was intercepted.  But he was not so lucky... the trip would normally have taken on a perhaps two hours but an hour into his flight he spotted the rocket heat wash of missiles tracking him.  He realized clearly the two F-15 'Eagles' zeroing in on him fired because he did not answer their hails as he had no radio to respond with.

He sighed perhaps he should have taken a parabolic trans-atmospheric route into space to cut down on the inevitable heat trace he was leaving across the skies... but they still would have been there when he came down near DC from orbit.. no real way to hide that.   Justy was sure the missile were explosive and there for useless in harming him but he didn't want his cellphone wreaked with the explosion.  So he merely powered off into a sky diving freefall to let the missile loose target track and the jets now moving far faster zipped by loosing track of him.  At an altitude of about 500 feet he powered back up and continued on his way.  He'd gotten use to evading the inevitable fighter jet interceptors.  The jets may have be informed of his heat signature reappearing but flying so low and fast did not reengage quick enough to stop him from reaching DC.  To which he landed at the outskirts, powered down, walked to a gas station and called an Uber with his cell phone to take him into the city.

Justy directed the driver after a Google search to the Blair Shelter - Homeless shelter in DC at 635 I St NE, Washington.  On arrival he exited the Uber and went toward the brownstone entrance.  Sitting on the steps he noted an elderly man in worn clothing of partial US military fatigues.  He had a pair of crutches various bags and a beggar’s cup.  His legs were stiff and clearly disfigured...

Justy approached him and met his eyes, "Hello sir, how were you injured?"
He looked Justy up his features hard, his voice came in a wheezing gasp, he smelled of cigarettes, booze and unhygienic living, "Not injured, CP. Served in the US army got no help from the VA, spare some change?"

Justy crouched and reaches to his outstretched cup but gently touched his hand instead, "Thank you for your service sir... be healed!'

With just a light touch a golden glow fleshed warmly over the man and his bent legs straightened, his wheezing stopped, his old scars upon his face & hands smoothed over and vanished completely, even his odor changed subtly. The man's eyes went wide in surprise and he shakily stood, which Justy, caught him by the arm to steady him...

"I- It's a miracle? My pain is gone... {Gasp}.. I can breathe!!"
He looked at Justy and his expression was one of wonder as he asked, "A- Are y-you one o' them supers?"

Justy smiled and steadied the man replied, "...slowly, its been years since you stood under your own power you may need to relearn some of your balance as your muscles learn again.  I think you may have had lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, and Cerebral palsy. That's all gone now, you were also missing a kidney ~ you are well now... sorry all your old scars are gone as well.  Yes, I'm a super - Call me Star Phoenix."

This is how it all started.  The man ushered Justy into the homeless shelter and room by room he healed injuries, removed diseases, cured blindness, restored lost limbs, cured any and all sickness.  Then he asked where the nearest Major hospital was?  He was told of the Washington Hospital Center at 223 7th St NE, Washington, DC 20002 and decided to walk there.  Many of the Homeless and Veterans healed decided to follow him to see more.  Justy made no attempt to dissuade them from following, evade them or to try to conceal his features. He walked the street following their directions.  On the way there he spotted a elderly woman crossing a street using a walker... he walked over to her greeting her she smiled as he came to her side to escort her cross the street and he placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder saying, "You do not need that walker anymore ma'am."

And was just a shocked as her back straightened and her prosthetic leg had to be unbuckled as her perfectly healthy lower-leg regrew.  She even took off her glasses realizing she needed them no more and though it was not obvious she was also no longer diabetic.

The crowd with him gasped and roared in applause, the elderly woman looked at him in awe, "A-are you an Angel young man? God bless you... your heaven sent!"

Justy only shook his head and smiled, "No ma'am, I'm just gifted to heal those in need. I'm no angel, just a man with a gift. Call me Star Phoenix."

The whole incident had people with Cell phones recording but he again continued to walk to the hospital.  On arrival the crowd gathers caught the worried attention of the hospital security.  Justy entered the emergency immediate care lobby the hospital security not realizing anything was amiss until the people following him entered and crowded after him.  Justy saw a young Hispanic woman with a young boy whose arm was broken in a compound fracture the bone protruding slightly from his arm.  He walked over and spoke to her, "Are you waiting for a doctor?"

She looked up at him "Si, senior... ", then she switched to English, "..I have been waiting almost an hour...!", then she noted all the people following Justy and keep their distance but all watching, "Wha..is ~"

Justy spoke, "Can I look at your sons arm?"

She looked back to him and nodded slowly uncertainty on her expression.  Justy crouched down to look the boy in the eyes... and realized suddenly the boy had down's syndrome.. in addition to his broken arm.  Justy smiled and just touched his shoulder and the golden hue flashed across the boy and before everyone's eyes the arm reknitted itself the bone sliding painlessly back into his arm and the skin healing over as if nothing had ever happened.  But also the boy's features shifted the typical facial features associated with Downs Syndrome faded as his eyes, one ~ once lazy, now both tracked in unison to look at Justy his features shifting to the expression of a smiling Hispanic child of age 8 or so. To which he turned to his mother and said "mama, mama.. my arm is good!"

The woman gasped, "¡Ay dios mío!", but her smile brightened the room and she hugged the boy fiercely tears filling her eyes.

She spoke to Justy, "He has never spoken in a full sentence ~  Only single words, Gracias Senior,  Mucho Gracias!"

Justy was astounded as well, "..I guess my healing extends to genetic disorders as well?"

The crowd cheered again and the hospital security were dumbfounded as Justy went around the emergency care room and healed all present.  When the doctors arrived there was much conversation and some skepticism, but one doctor took Justy by the elbow and urgently asked, "Your one of those Supers and you can heal?  Please... come see if you can do anything for a patient I have whose dying!"

Justy smiled, "Of Course.. it's why I'm here!"

The other doctors watched most were awed some were resiliently unconvinced... even protested somewhat but the Dr. Nickoles from his name tag was clearly desperate to save his patient if by some miracle Star Phoenix could accomplish where his skills could not.

Justy was taken upstairs a ushered into a room with a burn patient upon a respirator... her breathing came is slow mechanical gasps.  Dr. Nickoles stood aside and pleaded, "Can you help her at all?"

Star Phoenix stepped to the side of her bed and taking her only exposed limb ~ a foot, for she was in a plastic bubble apparatus for burn victims that covered her in plastic bag from head shoulders and torso.  Her burns were terrible.

At Star Phoenix's touch her breathing became stronger and she coughed as her flesh healed, her skin reconstructing itself, regrowing like time-lapse photography right before everyone's eyes, as the golden glow suffused her body her hair and skin restored fully.  Her eyes sprung open in shock and she began to violently cough!  Dr. Nickoles pushed by with two nurses to pull the bag away and drag the long respirator tube from her mouth.

The young woman sat up completely stunned, "Wha..what happened?" The nurses continued to remove the plastic bag bandages that had been used to cover her 87% burn coverage upon her now fully healed body.

That is when multiple doctors, nurses, patients and visitor families crowded around begging for Justy's attention.  This is when Justy summoned his costume and told them calmly to take him to all the injured in the hospital... and so room by room Justy healed the injured, the symptomatic, and the dying removing birth defects, restoring even the neuro-diverse on the spectrum of autism, terminal illnesses, restoring damage organs and limbs, and even brought patients out of coma to the amazement and many cell phone recordings of his deeds.  Many asked questions of him and he only replied with, "Call me Star Phoenix, I'm one of the impact supers... I'm here to help."

Dr. Nickoles, looked at him a gasp, "Can you... restore life to the dead.. is that even possible?"

Star Phoenix smiled, “Yes, but there is a limit to how long the person can be dead, minutes I believe... don’t ask how it works it’s a mystery to me as well ~ I just know it can work.  Would you tell me where the next major hospital is in the DC area?”

Dr. Nickoles looked expectantly, “Y-your going there too?”

“I’m going to ALL hospitals in the DC Area.”

Dr. Nickoles looked on in something like reverence and gave directions...

Star Phoenix walked out of the hospital through the throngs of crowds gathering healing all who came to him, “... I’m going to visit all the hospitals in the DC area so all can be healed. Please stand back...”

But reporters and the amazed pressed close with a multitude of questions... too close if he took flight.  So patiently he formed a cylinder of solid plasma around him and gently slowly spread his arms to gently push people back creating a circle of solid translucent light around him in a 15’ft radius.  Then he ignited his fiery phoenix flight aura and took flight to the gasps of the crowds and the media at the wash of hot air over the crowds.  Then he dismissed the circle of solid plasma now that he hovered some 20’ft above the crowds.  Those who took note realized the fiery aura had scorched the same phoenix emblem into the pavement below him.

“Sorry, my flight field is dangerous; I did not want to set anyone on fire... I’m going to all the hospitals in the DC area, good health to you all!”

He took flight and flew down the street of the DC at a height of 50 feet no faster than traffic a slow 45 mph.  Yes it caused many to gawk in wonder as the news crews followed and continued to try to get him to answer questions.

But he let nothing misdirect him from his goal and that is just what he did from hospital to hospital he healed the sick, restored the lame, even brought a few recently dead back to life.  To his surprise he caught glimpses of Dr. Nickoles every so often in the crowds that followed him.

When finally he’d healed everyone in the last hospital in DC and yet still more crowds came for free healing he told the media ... he would take questions as the steps of the Washington Monument ~ the stone spire where he would make a statement and answer questions.

His flight brought him to the monument and he flew in low over the pool his phoenix aura reflected brightly off the water to a large crowd already assembled... he landed at the base of the spire, the media immediately pressing in.

“Call me Star Phoenix, I believe myself to be one of the Impact Supers~", he powered down so his voice did not crackle so menacingly...

"I possess ... literally cosmic powers.  I have no idea how my powers work or their specific origin only that I possess them.  I have been in consultation with other Impact Supers, and based upon what we have discussed our powers ‘seem’ to be some form of wish fulfillment ~ perhaps a heart’s desire.  This is only conjecture as we have no proof only the self-reflection of our own personalities.  My powers specifically seem structured after my imagination’s “ideal self-image” and the legend of the phoenix... but perhaps too much reading of comic books in my youth.  But the results cannot be denied, I am a being of cosmic energy able to fly though space faster than light without protection, invulnerable to cosmic fires of the sun.  I can unleash charged highly destructive plasma, I heal from any injury almost instantaneously, but I can also extend my healing to others curing any and every malady with but a touch.  I’m still learning the limits of my powers but I ‘m always holding back to keep firm control of the cosmic power I possess.”

“And yet, though likely my physiology is changed from normal humans I still deserve human rights, as do all those like me.  I consider myself to be a religious man, a good Christian ~ but I am personally no god, sent by god, nor in contact with god... I’m just a man with a gift, a gift I want to share with mankind.  Why are we Supers here, I honestly do not know.  But I think what’s more important is what we do with these gifts we possess?”

“I plan to spend every Saturday for 24 hours healing people across the globe, next week I’ll be in Ethiopia hoping to vanquish the Ebola outbreak there.  Perhaps for NASA I’ll lift ten 20 ton satellites of their specification and put them in permanent orbits around every planet in our solar system including the sun... shouldn’t take longer than a month to place them if NASA is interested.  I want to use my powers to help mankind ~ Lending a hand where I can, helping where I’m invited.”

“I too listened to the President’s ART plan.  It seems an admirable policy, on the surface ~ but its the details where things get questionable.  Its not enough to say we have a plan and all we need is for all supers to register.  How will that data be used?  Will those who voluntarily register have their basic human rights upheld?  How will their protections from unreasonable search and seizure be handled?  Will they all be drafted willing or no to government or military service?  Will our right to privacy be protected?  Not every super will want to use their powers as I have chosen to... will their rights to privacy be protected?  These are things that need to be addressed first ~ Openly with Full Transparency before a call for all to give up their privacy is made!  I’m not against the ART, but I do believe an open discussion about EXACTLY what is required by such a policy.  ‘Trust us we’re with the government and we're here to help’, does not cut it anymore!”

“There is also the issue of the Asynchs.  For every Super who comes forward to use their powers in socially acceptable ways, I’m sure there will be some who will choose to use their gifts to take advantage, coerce, harm or steal from the mostly unsuspecting Normal Humanity.  How can Normal human law enforcement deal with such?  I’d say society would need Supers trained in law enforcement to police ourselves to see to it that Super-Asynchs ‘Criminals’ are not using their powers to dominate the welfare of Normal Humanity.  Super Humanity and Normal humanity can live together in harmony… we MUST not let our differences spark conflict or let Racism rear its ugly head!”

“It could even be arranged for Supers who want to help but want to maintain their secrecy to register as a Super Identity with legal status as their Super Identity... sort of how corporations do business under their business name and not the name of their Board of directors.  That would allow for Secret Id Supers to maintain a legal identity and be held accountable by that legal identity without exposing their private lives or Normal Humanity Id.  I’m not a lawyer, I’m a physicist intern... but I’m sure there could be some legal wrangling to help protect the identity and private life of Supers who want to help but protect their families and private lives.”

“Anyways... I’ve said what I wanted.  Any questions?”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:11, Wed 11 May 2022.