Field Offices

[Narrator]

After the fighting at the mall calms down the less spectacular part of the Agency's work takes over and damage control rolls in. At the same time the group of interdimensional travelers is led by Wyldclay to a less destroyed staging ground. Being outsiders in pretty much every sense of the word, the Agency doesn't seem too thrilled with the idea of letting them into their center of operations, especially after one of them claimed to be capable of reading minds. That seems like a severe breach of OpSec waiting to happen. So instead they zig-zag through the Ghostroads until they emerge from a break room door into the wide open space of a roller rink. The lights are on but is mostly empty, no music playing but the handful of Arcade machines in one corner are dinging, beeping and playing tinny melodies.

A counter selling pizza and hot dogs of indetermined freshness seems to have been taken over by medical field supplies and a blonde woman with short hair, wearing a labcoat with suspicious amounts of dried bloodstains is holding up a slice of pizza between two fingers, eyeing it and taking a bite before chucking it into the nearby sink.

Arriving shortly after the X-Men and awkwardly trying to shuffle past them is a mousey looking woman with glasses and brown-hair pinned into a disheveled bun. She has a document case as well as a couple rolled up poster-sized papers tucked under one arm. She's carrying a huge beige-grey box with both hands, balancing a number of clunky electronics on top along with a disk-case filled with varying colors of 3.5" disks and magnetic tape cassettes.

[Leo N. Eskandari]

Tosh took a visual inventory of the electronics and grinned. "The things I could make all this vintage tech do."

Leo raised an eyebrow, not yet aware that the other world was a good forty years ahead. Spotting Doctor Chasovnya, he called out to her. "Hey Doc, we've got injured over here!"

[Samantha McManus]

"And this is the doctor you say 'fixed' you," she says, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.

[Dr. Mariya Chasovnya]

"Ah, this must be them then?" the doctor says in a thick Russian accent, grabbing a bag of medical tools and supplies and making her way over to Sam and the rest. "I keep telling people Agent Ryn's a disaster waiting to happen." She says, thunking her bag down on a table and opening it up, pulling out sterile gauze and some brown-orange iodine concoction and a bottle that says rubbing alcohol on it. "Aside from the obvious laceration, any ill effects? Head-aches? Dizzyness? Blurry vision? Difficulty breathing? Allergic reactions to anything?" she rattles off and puts her thumb on Sam's cheek and her index-finger on her eyebrow, using them to pull open her eyelids as she brings up an ophthalmoscope.

[Will Stanton]

Will, meanwhile, had recovered enough to not be quite so clingy on Sam and Miriam. All throughout the walk to the roller rink field office, he had been walking rather carefully and deliberately, as if going through a well-practiced mental checklist as he recovered his...what, mental fortitude? It didn't seem to have much, if anything, to do with the still missing chunk of him, though that did appear to be slowly regenerating on its own.

He sat on one of the small plastic chairs around a table, taking some slow, deep breaths.

[Wyll Wyldclay]

The Wyldclay, meanwhile, was very carefully spying on Will and the rest of the group.

Or, to put it more accurately, they were slowly rolling past the exit to the rink proper, bent over so their eyeline was just above the padded protective wall, watching everything as they glided by.

[Toshiro Narumi]

Tosh, becoming worried about the mountain of stuff the mousey woman was carrying, walked over to her and asked, taking care not to startle her, asked, "Do you need any help with all that?"

[Miriam Bell]

Will, meanwhile, had recovered enough to not be quite so clingy on Sam and Miriam. All throughout the walk to the roller rink field office, he had been walking rather carefully and deliberately, as if going through a well-practiced mental checklist as he recovered his...what, mental fortitude? It didn't seem to have much, if anything, to do with the still missing chunk of him, though that did appear to be slowly regenerating on its own.

He sat on one of the small plastic chairs around a table, taking some slow, deep breaths.

Miriam pulls another chair over to plop herself down next to Will.

"Okay, what is going on? Your head's all kinds of out of it and it is driving me crazy."

[Cassiopeia MacPherson]

Tosh, becoming worried about the mountain of stuff the mousey woman was carrying, walked over to her and asked, taking care not to startle her, asked, "Do you need any help with all that?"

"Wh-what? Me?" the woman asks and turns around awkwardly enough that her assembly of stuff teeters dangerously on top of her laptop portable computer. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Please don't touch any of this!" she adds, managing to just about counteract the shifting cases of disks. "E-everything is very carefully calibrated.

[Toshiro Narumi]

Tosh stepped back and put his palms forward placatingly. "Alright. Not touching."

His eyes landed on the computer and lit up. His dad used to let him tinker with the old systems he managed to scrounge up. "Nice. Is that a custom job? Looks like it used to be an off the shelf Amiga. Am I right?"

[Cassiopeia MacPherson]

"Uh..." she says as she unloads the thing on a table and her rolled up posters and document case on a neighboring one. "Yeah. Needed a portable machine. Hooked uh... a state of the art LCD screen to it. Th-they're only out in Japan." she starts rambling, avoiding eye-contact with Tosh the entire time. "It's not as powerful a-as the setup back at the base, but it should be able to run my algorithms. I h-haven't actually tried it yet. Hold these." she says and pushes the document case into Tosh's hand and unrolls the first of the poster-sized papers onto the table. It's showing some kind of intricate design that looks half like circuits and half like a magical circle with flat metal contacts set into it at certain points. The second sheet she unrolls is transparent with a hole not quite in the center that goes right onto the other one, showing more circuitry-designs made of thin metal strips that touch on the contacts of the bottom design. Spinning the transparent disk changes the contact points and thus the resulting circuitry. "I didn't have the right star chart for today's date, but I th-think it'll still work with the generic one. The data is f-from NASA so it's a lot more accurate."

[Will Stanton]

Miriam pulls another chair over to plop herself down next to Will.

"Okay, what is going on? Your head's all kinds of out of it and it is driving me crazy."

"Hrm?" Will said, looking up and blinking, before coming out with a half smile.

"Oh, sorry, Miriam; I'll try to plug the leak. Telepathic manners 101, I know," he said, with a laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes. "If you get into another scuffle with Ryn, don't let her....don't let her look..."

He took another deep breath. "Man, I thought it was bad when it was just generally affecting the room. When I wrapped myself around her eyes, I got it...full blast. And I felt...nothing.

Nothing. Complete and total nothing. No motion, no sensation, no change. Stagnation."

He took a deep breath and looked up at the garishly-patterned ceiling. "Been there. Done that. Been the T-shirt. Don't need to do it again."

[Miriam Bell]

"You remember that? From before that whole Antarctic thing, right? Floating in space for who knows how long?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Uh..." she says as she unloads the thing on a table and her rolled up posters and document case on a neighboring one. "Yeah. Needed a portable machine. Hooked uh... a state of the art LCD screen to it. Th-they're only out in Japan." she starts rambling, avoiding eye-contact with Tosh the entire time. "It's not as powerful a-as the setup back at the base, but it should be able to run my algorithms. I h-haven't actually tried it yet. Hold these." she says and pushes the document case into Tosh's hand and unrolls the first of the poster-sized papers onto the table. It's showing some kind of intricate design that looks half like circuits and half like a magical circle with flat metal contacts set into it at certain points. The second sheet she unrolls is transparent with a hole not quite in the center that goes right onto the other one, showing more circuitry-designs made of thin metal strips that touch on the contacts of the bottom design. Spinning the transparent disk changes the contact points and thus the resulting circuitry. "I didn't have the right star chart for today's date, but I th-think it'll still work with the generic one. The data is f-from NASA so it's a lot more accurate."

To Tosh's surprise, he actually had little idea of what he was looking at. What did star charts have to do with what these people did? It was exciting, though. "Star charts? You use that to, what, predict paranormal phenomena? I would have never thought of that. Or that you had access to powerful enough hardware to run such an algorithm."

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm a bit banged up, but I don't think I have a concussion or anything. Probably came out better than most people who tangle with her."

[Cassiopeia MacPherson]

To Tosh's surprise, he actually had little idea of what he was looking at. What did star charts have to do with what these people did? It was exciting, though. "Star charts? You use that to, what, predict paranormal phenomena? I would have never thought of that. Or that you had access to powerful enough hardware to run such an algorithm."

"This is state of the--Oh. Ooh! You're from the-the abnormality that... the flat electronic slabs! W-well, I've tried to optimize as much as I could and, uh, the charts are hardwired to certain constellations that I found correlate to certain spikes in synchronicity across the board so that saves on a lot of computing need. I've tried other configurations based on the sephirot and I think it's promising but I haven't had time to rewrite my code for that yet, but it in theory the numerology inherent to it should work but you never know with these religion-adjacent things and there's a lot of non-sense out there too." she rambles, then briefly pauses and seems to realize something.

"Oh. Of course, you're not familiar with my work. Right. Uhm..." she glances over at some of the other agency personnel. "They're involving you in this so it's probably fine to tell. I work in the Department for Applied Synchronicity, usually we try to correlate outliers in all kinds of data to potential paranatural sources. Sudden drop in water pressure in a rural town and increased violent crime rates in Detroit. No clear cause but we calculate a likelihood they're related and if it's high enough send someone to investigate. There was a plant-based parasite causing increased water-uptake in pastures, cows were contaminated, people who ate the beef were affected with... I don't know, I don't read all the reports but they wouldn't have known to check without us , yeah?"

"Anyway, this is a little different and I d-don't know how much it'll help but I'll try. Th-things are pretty messed up at the moment what with the s-singing and dancing."

[Dr. Mariya Chasovnya]

"I'm a bit banged up, but I don't think I have a concussion or anything. Probably came out better than most people who tangle with her."

"Good, good. You came from another world though, dah? Who knows what that does. Who knows how human you even are. Comparatively, I mean." she says and puts the scope away in order to start patching Sam up with a couple stitches and a lot of iodine-swabbed cuts and tears. "Pathogens alone. You're not feeling sick? I'd like to take some blood samples. Probably no time for any biopsies but I'd love to do a lumbar puncture."

"Oh and I should give you your shots, of course." she says and opens a cooler and pulls out a syringe wrapped in a sterile container with a bright biohazard warning symbol on it. "Broad spectrum bacteriophages and anti-parasitic. Not to worry, only burns for an hour or so."

[Samantha McManus]

"You realize they're going to expect me to fight her again after this, right? Unless you're volunteering?"

[Dr. Mariya Chasovnya]

"Pretty sure if you can take Agent Ryn you can take a couple tests and a shot, you're a big girl." she smirks.

[Will Stanton]

"You remember that? From before that whole Antarctic thing, right? Floating in space for who knows how long?"

"Some of it. Too much of it. Not all of it," Will said, with a slight, practiced shrug, trying to downplay things. "Packed away some of it in the box, and it opened back up again and I remembered it.

Not the full time, mind you. And there wasn't exactly a calendar around to keep track. So just...some of it."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"A mass phenomenon like that would certainly throw off the data." He nodded. "I've never worked on combining astrology and mysticism with hard science but it's fascinating. Any chance you'd let me peek at your code? I know I'm young, but there's a reason I got sent along as the scientific observer. Though I get it if you can't trust us that far."

[Leo N. Eskandari]

"Pretty sure if you can take Agent Ryn you can take a couple tests and a shot, you're a big girl." she smirks.

"Speaking of shots," Leo commented, "When you're done with her, I need you to take a look at me. As you can see, the serum wore off in the heat of battle."

[Miriam Bell]

"You remember that? From before that whole Antarctic thing, right? Floating in space for who knows how long?"

"Some of it. Too much of it. Not all of it," Will said, with a slight, practiced shrug, trying to downplay things. "Packed away some of it in the box, and it opened back up again and I remembered it.

Not the full time, mind you. And there wasn't exactly a calendar around to keep track. So just...some of it."

"You are a little clingy." she says with an attempt at a good-natured bump with her shoulder against Will's. "I can't really imagine... any of that. And I'm honestly a little afraid to try and glean it from you. It sounds bleak."

[Cassiopeia MacPherson]

"A mass phenomenon like that would certainly throw off the data." He nodded. "I've never worked on combining astrology and mysticism with hard science but it's fascinating. Any chance you'd let me peek at your code? I know I'm young, but there's a reason I got sent along as the scientific observer. Though I get it if you can't trust us that far."

"S-sorry but I'm not just gonna let you take a look at my life's work. And it's far from done. I'm still trying to figure out how to move away from statistical input to more directed data. I guess th-this is kind of a field-test." she laughs at her own joke.

[Will Stanton]

"You are a little clingy." she says with an attempt at a good-natured bump with her shoulder against Will's. "I can't really imagine... any of that. And I'm honestly a little afraid to try and glean it from you. It sounds bleak."

"I'd recommend a bunch of things you'd never think to try, but I'm afraid I can't really endorse spending an eternity of eternities as a rock in a universe without stars. Bleak is...an understatement.

And that's what that little thing hit me with. Remind me to return the favor..."

[Dr. Mariya Chasovnya]

"Pretty sure if you can take Agent Ryn you can take a couple tests and a shot, you're a big girl." she smirks.

"Speaking of shots," Leo commented, "When you're done with her, I need you to take a look at me. As you can see, the serum wore off in the heat of battle."

"As you might recall, I have a limited supply of it because you brought me a limited supply of whatever progenitor-monster got into your DNA. There's one left, your call if you want it now or later."

[Miriam Bell]

"You are a little clingy." she says with an attempt at a good-natured bump with her shoulder against Will's. "I can't really imagine... any of that. And I'm honestly a little afraid to try and glean it from you. It sounds bleak."

"I'd recommend a bunch of things you'd never think to try, but I'm afraid I can't really endorse spending an eternity of eternities as a rock in a universe without stars. Bleak is...an understatement.

And that's what that little thing hit me with. Remind me to return the favor..."

"Bloody hell. No wonder it got you all fucked up."

[Will Stanton]

"Bloody hell. No wonder it got you all fucked up."

"Yeah," Will said, misunderstanding her. "A hit below the belt indeed. No respect for the rules of behavior, that one."

It wasn't just joking to diffuse tension; Will truly believed (or had convinced himself) that sympathy wasn't needed for what was objectively a traumatizing experience; one that had wrecked his mind and body and put him through eons of torture.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"S-sorry but I'm not just gonna let you take a look at my life's work. And it's far from done. I'm still trying to figure out how to move away from statistical input to more directed data. I guess th-this is kind of a field-test." she laughs at her own joke.

Tosh chuckled. "I figured it was a long shot. I'd probably be just as protective."

"Hey! How hard would it be to track a specific magical object? Ryn and Agent Kane have that wish orb thing with them, right? That seems to be the source of the musical theater nonsense."

[Leo N. Eskandari]

"As you might recall, I have a limited supply of it because you brought me a limited supply of whatever progenitor-monster got into your DNA. There's one left, your call if you want it now or later."

Leo thought it over. It was incredibly tempting but it was a precious commodity he couldn't bear to waste. "As much as I'd like to look human again, we're likely to end up fighting Ryn again and I'd just end up burning it off. Besides, I'll need all the strength I can manage."

[Miriam Bell]

"Yeah," Will said, misunderstanding her. "A hit below the belt indeed. No respect for the rules of behavior, that one."

It wasn't just joking to diffuse tension; Will truly believed (or had convinced himself) that sympathy wasn't needed for what was objectively a traumatizing experience; one that had wrecked his mind and body and put him through eons of torture.

"What rules. To keep it breezy in a fight? So you can keep your trauma nice and buried?" the pot calls the kettle black.

[Will Stanton]

"What rules. To keep it breezy in a fight? So you can keep your trauma nice and buried?" the pot calls the kettle black.

"Eh, felt like it was...unnecessarily personal. That was some deep stuff. She doesn't know me; you don't need to go there," Will said, with a practiced casual shrug. "That's a third-fight sort of thing."

[Cassiopeia MacPherson]

Tosh chuckled. "I figured it was a long shot. I'd probably be just as protective."

"Hey! How hard would it be to track a specific magical object? Ryn and Agent Kane have that wish orb thing with them, right? That seems to be the source of the musical theater nonsense."

"That's a pretty big on, f-fortunately. And we have some data from when they first found it. Still, it's not like I can punch in 'magic orb' and have it spit out map coordinates. It's so widespread there'd be tons of false positives anyway. Maybe if there was enough real-time data but even if the military satellites could monitor musical outbursts, which they can't, and ArpaNet could patch it through to us fast enough, which it can't, and I had some kind of filtering program in place, which I don't then maybe. If I had a sufficiently detailed global map. Which I... you get the point."

[Miriam Bell]

"Eh, felt like it was...unnecessarily personal. That was some deep stuff. She doesn't know me; you don't need to go there," Will said, with a practiced casual shrug. "That's a third-fight sort of thing."

"Is that how it works? Like one third of Sam is just perpetually horny and it comes out as punches?" she snarks. "And how can it be personal if she doesn't even really know you? Or is this some kind of mythological bullshit?"

[Will Stanton]

"Is that how it works? Like one third of Sam is just perpetually horny and it comes out as punches?" she snarks. "And how can it be personal if she doesn't even really know you? Or is this some kind of mythological bullshit?"

"I mean, I don't know. Maybe it is a mythological thing; archetypes and roles being recast and replayed. Maybe she's got some sort of telepathic juju and was able to just pull it out of my mind. Maybe she's cribbing from our friend the roller-skater over there and found a similarity. Maybe it was a shot in the dark, and she brings that sort of sensation to everyone. You get any of that existential nothingness feel when she was just broadcasting wide?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Let's stop short of setting my circulatory system ablaze for an hour, unless you know something you're not letting on."

[Dr. Mariya Chasovnya]

"Let's stop short of setting my circulatory system ablaze for an hour, unless you know something you're not letting on."

"I know wandering all over the globe tends to track in no end of pathogens and who knows if ours are the same as yours. But suit yourself, just don't blame us when you bring back something nobody has any antibodies to in your world."

[Miriam Bell]

"I mean, I don't know. Maybe it is a mythological thing; archetypes and roles being recast and replayed. Maybe she's got some sort of telepathic juju and was able to just pull it out of my mind. Maybe she's cribbing from our friend the roller-skater over there and found a similarity. Maybe it was a shot in the dark, and she brings that sort of sensation to everyone. You get any of that existential nothingness feel when she was just broadcasting wide?"

"No, it was more that kind of... horror movie feeling. You know, something's watching me, waiting to jump out and murder me kind of feel. Just... primal, don't venture from the campfire shit."

[Will Stanton]

"No, it was more that kind of... horror movie feeling. You know, something's watching me, waiting to jump out and murder me kind of feel. Just... primal, don't venture from the campfire shit."

"Ah, then maybe it was personal for me. Like one of those gaudy keychains you get in the mall, only tearing at existential dread. So we're back to 'I'll pay her back'."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"That's a pretty big on, f-fortunately. And we have some data from when they first found it. Still, it's not like I can punch in 'magic orb' and have it spit out map coordinates. It's so widespread there'd be tons of false positives anyway. Maybe if there was enough real-time data but even if the military satellites could monitor musical outbursts, which they can't, and ArpaNet could patch it through to us fast enough, which it can't, and I had some kind of filtering program in place, which I don't then maybe. If I had a sufficiently detailed global map. Which I... you get the point."

Tosh screwed up his face in thought. "Hmm... well, assuming Kane knows where you can most easily look for them, could you maybe correlate what you have with areas not easily accessible by your Ghost Roads?"