Field Trip (part 5)
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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8th January
10:52 GMT -7
I smile, extending my right hand towards Mr Ardeen. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
He smiles back. "Likewise, Mister Grayven."
He releases me, and I extend my smile to his daughter. "I suppose that it's actually a little odd that we haven't run into each other before."
Imra shakes her head. "You're… Busy saving the world and things like that." She shrugs with… Feigned nonchalance? A little odd… "And Rifle's a pretty safe town."
True. Especially now. I… Really don't know how frequently the parents of American High School students would usually meet. I rather missed the part of Lynne's life where she would be dependent on me for lifts to places or require constant oversight.
"Very little of what I do saves the world in the short term." Hm. I give Mr Ardeen a quick scan, but he reads as a regular human man. "But if you're ready to depart..?" I gesture to the hush tube opening with my right hand.
"Yes!" She picks up her bag, stands on her tiptoes to kiss her slightly surprised father on the cheek, then strides through the opening.
"Mars, huh?"
"I realise that bringing a martian teacher to Earth would have been better, but martians don't really have the human adventuring spirit. It took me a while to find a place prepared to do this."
"No, it's just…" He gestures to the hush tube. "People casually going to Mars. I didn't think I'd see it in my lifetime."
"It won't happen with purely human technology for a little while yet. You heard about… Lex Luthor's spaceships?"
"Sure, I could hardly miss it."
"I need to talk to the… Martian government about that. Alienating the system's other native sophont species would be a poor way to start."
"Ah… Yeah. Good luck with that."
"I'll have your daughter back by five."
"Okay, I'll see you this evening."
I nod, wave goodbye with my right hand, then head through the hush tube after Imra. As I emerge into the 'embarkation room' I immediately spot Lynne helping Imra with her space suit. The pressure in the Martian caverns is high enough that humans could endure it, but it wouldn't be particularly comfortable. Plus, an actual suit allowed me to include armour, a personal force field and a 'security recall' short ranged teleporter. Having checked the report J'onn gave me, I don't think that there's much risk, but… I'd rather be paranoid than have to explain a dead child.
"Hey, Mister Grayven."
Lucian Crawley waves at me with his right hand while trying to sort out his collar with his left. Ah, looks like his shirt is getting in the way of his suit's neck ring.
"Looking forward to seeing Mars, Lucian?"
"Ah… I guess? I'm mostly looking forwards to meeting some aliens."
I tilt my head a little to the left. "Sorry to be such a disappointment in the alien department."
"Um." He stops moving. "S-sorry?"
"No, no, nice to know that I'm fitting in so well. You need any help with that helmet?"
"Ah…"
"I'll get it." Lilith Clay walks up to him and sticks her hands inside his-
"Hey!"
-collar. I… Vaguely recognise her name as belonging to a minor Teen Titans character. I.. think. I don't know if that version is similar to the one who exists here or not. She's a classical telepath who also experiences precognitive images. As far as we can tell those aren't magical in nature, so it's possible that she's somehow calculating them based on information data mined from the minds of those around her.
Which is interesting. There was a story in Temps about a scientists who studied superpowers, who expressed the belief that precognition was misdiagnosed telekinesis. A mind would dream up an image and then make it happen. The issue came up when an insurance firm refused to pay out on a life insurance policy until it was demonstrated that a boy who foresaw his father's death hadn't caused it, intentionally or otherwise. It would be fascinating to study, but she only attends the Center part time in order to learn how to keep her abilities under control.
Have to talk to her about the Department of Metahuman Affairs. The contracts they've been offering telepaths are pretty generous, even at the entry level.
April and May Marigold finish checking each other's suits, their helmets firmly in place. Jean's horns glow for a moment as she tugs at each part in turn, then nods, satisfied. She and a small horde of G-Gnomes and G-Elves will be accompanying the group, all with their own specialised suits and weaponry. The telepathy of the Genomorph Entire should be significant by martian standards, but I doubt that Jean's telekinesis or the physical abilities of the G-Elves would matter much during a confrontation.
A boom tube opens, and Ghia'ta steps through with a Green Martian close behind her. The children immediately turn to stare at the school's representative as she shifts to a slightly more human-seeming form... Huh. It's not bad for a first attempt. Basically J'onn in drag with a blonde wig.
"Hello, children."
Pretty close to being a copy of his voice, too. Though I do appreciate her not just assuming that everyone was fine with telepathy.
Doctor Williams smiles and approaches her. "Welcome to Earth, J'en. Is everything ready at your end?"
"Yes, we are prepared. Is everyone ready to depart?"
"I believe so."
Sinestro?
Yes, by some miracle the human youths have managed to correctly don the most idiot-resistant space suits I have ever seen.
Really? The most idiot resistant?
Be proud, Lantern Grayven. Most species prefer to improve their habitats rather than go to the lengths which you have. Those who must use space suits generally lack the technology to create something this sophisticated.
Score one for me. I wonder if there's a Guinness Book of Galactic Records or something?
No. There isn't.
I clap my hands together. "Alright, if everyone's ready, please follow Miss J'en and Ghia'ta through the boom tube. Have fun!"
They troop off, Lynne turning to wave before falling in beside Imra and Doctor Williams making use of his suit's flight system to avoid slowing everyone down. In the span of a few moments they're through, and the tube shuts down.
Now the second party. I turn and walk over to them. The two from Euphorix quite sensibly brought their own suits with them, but from Circe's reaction I get the impression that they're a level or two below the rest of the party. "Are you ladies and gentlemen sure that you don't want a space suit?"
Councillor Endor shakes his head. "This isn't my first time away from Zerox. I'd be a poor magician if I couldn't maintain a comfortable environment for myself. Larissa?"
Circe shakes her head. "I know you mean well Grayven, but really. Would you like one?"
"I'm a little more physically resilient than you." At least, more resilient than 'Principal Larissa'. "But very well. Lord Cyprian? Sunset?"
He shakes his head and she rolls her eyes.
"Alright then. Let's be off."
10:52 GMT -7
I smile, extending my right hand towards Mr Ardeen. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
He smiles back. "Likewise, Mister Grayven."
He releases me, and I extend my smile to his daughter. "I suppose that it's actually a little odd that we haven't run into each other before."
Imra shakes her head. "You're… Busy saving the world and things like that." She shrugs with… Feigned nonchalance? A little odd… "And Rifle's a pretty safe town."
True. Especially now. I… Really don't know how frequently the parents of American High School students would usually meet. I rather missed the part of Lynne's life where she would be dependent on me for lifts to places or require constant oversight.
"Very little of what I do saves the world in the short term." Hm. I give Mr Ardeen a quick scan, but he reads as a regular human man. "But if you're ready to depart..?" I gesture to the hush tube opening with my right hand.
"Yes!" She picks up her bag, stands on her tiptoes to kiss her slightly surprised father on the cheek, then strides through the opening.
"Mars, huh?"
"I realise that bringing a martian teacher to Earth would have been better, but martians don't really have the human adventuring spirit. It took me a while to find a place prepared to do this."
"No, it's just…" He gestures to the hush tube. "People casually going to Mars. I didn't think I'd see it in my lifetime."
"It won't happen with purely human technology for a little while yet. You heard about… Lex Luthor's spaceships?"
"Sure, I could hardly miss it."
"I need to talk to the… Martian government about that. Alienating the system's other native sophont species would be a poor way to start."
"Ah… Yeah. Good luck with that."
"I'll have your daughter back by five."
"Okay, I'll see you this evening."
I nod, wave goodbye with my right hand, then head through the hush tube after Imra. As I emerge into the 'embarkation room' I immediately spot Lynne helping Imra with her space suit. The pressure in the Martian caverns is high enough that humans could endure it, but it wouldn't be particularly comfortable. Plus, an actual suit allowed me to include armour, a personal force field and a 'security recall' short ranged teleporter. Having checked the report J'onn gave me, I don't think that there's much risk, but… I'd rather be paranoid than have to explain a dead child.
"Hey, Mister Grayven."
Lucian Crawley waves at me with his right hand while trying to sort out his collar with his left. Ah, looks like his shirt is getting in the way of his suit's neck ring.
"Looking forward to seeing Mars, Lucian?"
"Ah… I guess? I'm mostly looking forwards to meeting some aliens."
I tilt my head a little to the left. "Sorry to be such a disappointment in the alien department."
"Um." He stops moving. "S-sorry?"
"No, no, nice to know that I'm fitting in so well. You need any help with that helmet?"
"Ah…"
"I'll get it." Lilith Clay walks up to him and sticks her hands inside his-
"Hey!"
-collar. I… Vaguely recognise her name as belonging to a minor Teen Titans character. I.. think. I don't know if that version is similar to the one who exists here or not. She's a classical telepath who also experiences precognitive images. As far as we can tell those aren't magical in nature, so it's possible that she's somehow calculating them based on information data mined from the minds of those around her.
Which is interesting. There was a story in Temps about a scientists who studied superpowers, who expressed the belief that precognition was misdiagnosed telekinesis. A mind would dream up an image and then make it happen. The issue came up when an insurance firm refused to pay out on a life insurance policy until it was demonstrated that a boy who foresaw his father's death hadn't caused it, intentionally or otherwise. It would be fascinating to study, but she only attends the Center part time in order to learn how to keep her abilities under control.
Have to talk to her about the Department of Metahuman Affairs. The contracts they've been offering telepaths are pretty generous, even at the entry level.
April and May Marigold finish checking each other's suits, their helmets firmly in place. Jean's horns glow for a moment as she tugs at each part in turn, then nods, satisfied. She and a small horde of G-Gnomes and G-Elves will be accompanying the group, all with their own specialised suits and weaponry. The telepathy of the Genomorph Entire should be significant by martian standards, but I doubt that Jean's telekinesis or the physical abilities of the G-Elves would matter much during a confrontation.
A boom tube opens, and Ghia'ta steps through with a Green Martian close behind her. The children immediately turn to stare at the school's representative as she shifts to a slightly more human-seeming form... Huh. It's not bad for a first attempt. Basically J'onn in drag with a blonde wig.
"Hello, children."
Pretty close to being a copy of his voice, too. Though I do appreciate her not just assuming that everyone was fine with telepathy.
Doctor Williams smiles and approaches her. "Welcome to Earth, J'en. Is everything ready at your end?"
"Yes, we are prepared. Is everyone ready to depart?"
"I believe so."
Sinestro?
Yes, by some miracle the human youths have managed to correctly don the most idiot-resistant space suits I have ever seen.
Really? The most idiot resistant?
Be proud, Lantern Grayven. Most species prefer to improve their habitats rather than go to the lengths which you have. Those who must use space suits generally lack the technology to create something this sophisticated.
Score one for me. I wonder if there's a Guinness Book of Galactic Records or something?
No. There isn't.
I clap my hands together. "Alright, if everyone's ready, please follow Miss J'en and Ghia'ta through the boom tube. Have fun!"
They troop off, Lynne turning to wave before falling in beside Imra and Doctor Williams making use of his suit's flight system to avoid slowing everyone down. In the span of a few moments they're through, and the tube shuts down.
Now the second party. I turn and walk over to them. The two from Euphorix quite sensibly brought their own suits with them, but from Circe's reaction I get the impression that they're a level or two below the rest of the party. "Are you ladies and gentlemen sure that you don't want a space suit?"
Councillor Endor shakes his head. "This isn't my first time away from Zerox. I'd be a poor magician if I couldn't maintain a comfortable environment for myself. Larissa?"
Circe shakes her head. "I know you mean well Grayven, but really. Would you like one?"
"I'm a little more physically resilient than you." At least, more resilient than 'Principal Larissa'. "But very well. Lord Cyprian? Sunset?"
He shakes his head and she rolls her eyes.
"Alright then. Let's be off."
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