Heroes Earth, 21st Century

[albatross]

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[albatross]

The Consequence of Failure

A deadly flu spread all over the world. Millions were sick. A few thousand people died. Typically the dead were children. Vaccines had been produced, and even those who wouldn't have gotten them would have had some protection from the slowing of the disease.

But only a few tens of millions of vaccine doses had been distributed, a decent amount for one country, but insignificant when spread all over the world.

The official story was that the vaccines had been ineffective, but there were rumors. Rumors that the vaccine worked just fine and that someone had stolen hundreds of millions of doses from labs all over the world. Scientists downplayed this rumor, since the vaccine was only useful for this year's specific strain of flu and would have no value to anyone except as this year's flu shots.

But the rumors persisted....

[albatross]

Two Months Earlier

After the first vaccine lab theft, there were only a few rumors. But despite lots of investigation, no one was any closer to finding out who the culprits were: inside job? aliens? mutants?

The only thing definitively known was that no one really had any leads and millions of doses of flu vaccine were taken, nearly all the flu vaccine in the facility, leaving less than ten percent of the viable doses.

Torchwood, Dehli has received a contract to guard one of the other main vaccine labs in India.

Since it was primarily a security guard job, Allan/Streetwise was picked by the higher ups to lead the mission, but Tesla was sent along so they would have someone who knew their way around a lab. Tesla was to bring his new 'friend' Sapphire, in the first live test of her abilities. And Taifuu, DJ and Aki were added to the team as thugs so that any would be thieves could be handled if things got violent.

At the lab, soldiers patrolled inside and outside the facility, and the Torchwood team was shown to the hallway that ran around the main lab. There they are turned loose and given free reign to set up or prepared for the thieves however they want.

[shiivster]

Aki follows along behind hte others. while paying attention to the others for a lead on where they are headed, her attention is more held by her companions reaction to various people.

~sneezes~ at those that where to much perfume or other fake scents.
~hiss~ at those that have the scent of gun oil on their person.
~chirp~ at those that do not 'smell' normal. [aka Sapphire]

*the 26 inch animal just scampers along after the small figure of the group and scuttles along sniffing at the edge of the hall. she's still learning about what the group does so she will rely on her friend's insight into the building.

*a snapping of fingers from the 'girl' has the beast looking up and then scampering quickly and swarms up the pant leg to settle on the shoulders to chow down on some raw fish. its clear that the two of them work together and the animal is more than just a 'pet', which is strange, considering its a 'wild animal'

[kurff]

Tesla observed while occasionally scratching a ring. He was well dressed but lack any accessories or jewelry. His companion also lacked jewelry and trinkets of that nature, save a collar. all the tests and his inquiries of Sapphire seemed to show to be intelligent and she displayed some odd skills.

All in all Tesla chose to consider her an ally an treated as a he any other person. Though he did dislike the ring after he learned of his immortality he came to the conclusion that such flaw could be exploited and with the ring he would need to deal with his condition regardless.

"It's clean at least," he commented to Sapphire looking at a palm pilot. his long coat covered a suit.

[sasqaricious]

Sapphire still not believing when her new master Tesla informed her that she was just another free person and an equal.

I am unsure about this person. He seems really nice but so did....No I will never speak his name again. He says I am free but if that were the case why did he not speak the reverse words on the ring and let me go. It could be true that he does not know them but I can not take that risk. Better to treat him the way I should until all is revealed

"Yes master it is nice that it is clean. Is there anything I can do for you right now? Or should I help your newly aquired friends at all."

[Renekin Skywalker]

Allan didn't quite understad how Torchwood missed the 'travelling wizard' part on his resumé. He was no cop. But, they paid well enough, and never asked questions. He was pleased to see Aki had brought her familiar. The little creature would be most useful in patrolling the ducts, even if they didn't share a true familiar relationship.

"OK. I need..." He paused, brushing off a pot of dust, which somehow always collected, here or there. Never enough to fall off like Pig Pen in the Peanuts comics, but still, enough Allan always noticed it. Probably Tesla, too.

He hadn't made the adjustment out of his post-apocalypse long-coat, much to the chagrin of his employers.

"We need to make sure we work in three dimensions and not just two. Aki, can your familiar patrol the ducts on its own? Tesla, make sure there's nothing bigger than a floor drain on the ground. Sapphire and I will be looking around the halls, checking the doors and so on. Questions?"

[kurff]

"'Master'?" he paused, "Just Nikola will do and yes." he told Sapphire. Ever since that dig and he 'found' the ring Tesla was unable to remove it.

If knew how to liberate her fully he would. but the risk of someone else making a slave of her seemed to be a problem. Better to treat her as best he could and learn more before exposing himself or sapphire to risk. It was the access to the resources that made him stay in Torchwood.

Not being a mage he made due and spent alot money on therapy. His issues with dust and Jewelry were going to be a problem. The jewelry was better..the dust was still a work in progress.

"I'll call up a floor plan and get a lay out of any way in or out of the building." he immediately started to call up the plans. and commit them to memory. he looked at the dust and concealed a cringe as he worked his Palm pilot mentally.

[albatross]

The big lab complex has large enough electrical needs that there is a large electrical room in the local sewer, though it doesn't lead inside except as a small tunnel currently filled with wires. The soldiers have a couple men in this room to protect the power supply and have positioned sensors throughout the nearby sewers. They have one tunnel rat team on sewer patrol.

The building has a commercial sewer system, though all the connections within the building are about four to six inches. There are numerous floor drains throughout the labs and indeed the entire complex, each about six inches wide.

The central air and heating ducts are large enough for Aki to squeeze into, not to mention her familiar, and run all over the complex in between cheap panel ceilings and the roof, there is about twenty-four to thirty-six inches clearance between the roof and the panels. The labs have walls extending all the way up to the roof to keep things a constant temperature, so the ducts are the only way into the labs through those parts of the space.

There are at least three doors into every lab, and there are more than twenty lab rooms, with perhaps fourteen focused on vaccine production.

The hallway the team is in runs all the way around all the labs in a big rectangle, and many of the lab "walls" that face this hallway are made of glass.

Only a dozen special forces soldiers are in the hallway, and two in each of the vaccine labs, most of the troops are outside the building.

[shiivster]

*Aki studies Allen for a while then looks at the mongoose she travels with. she seems to become still and stare at the beast. it sits up and stares back and shakes the head a few times as if in response to unspoken questions.

'Yumi .. no fa ... fan .. is Yumi. she look dark hole. me look dark hole?' *pointing to the central air vent near the ceiling after pointing to some of the lower vents. it's clear that while she can't speak or chooses not to, she is having difficulty with the language.

*the fact that her aversion to wearing leather shows in the fact that her clothing hasn't really changed too much from what she arrived in. her only concession is the 'shoes' she wears. they are canvas sneakers with canvas soles. she has yet to decide on the clothing left for her. the leather boots had been dragged out by the mongoose as was the belt.

[pities the guards as they were hissed at in the most nasty of manners. gun oil]

[Renekin Skywalker]

"Only where you can fit." Allan says to Aki. "Next order of business is to inspect above the ceilings. The facility's staff can do that."

He looks around, wondering just how they would get in. "Does anyone know what happened last time?"

[shiivster]

*using the momentary distraction of the team looking up, Aki vanishes from view [skill checks ~blend~ ~climb~ - 26/28 .. 46/55]

*in the ventilation central duct work a slim small built girl heads off sliding on her belly investigating the duct work. her eyes check the amount of dust or other strange signs. she wonders just how to get in touch with the group if she finds anything of interest. [~detect conceal~ 06/25]

[sasqaricious]

Sapphire looks towards Tesla in a way kinda unsure before turning to the individual known as Streetwise.

"I probably should stay by Master Tesla, but I understand to help him out I should follow your directions as well. So you said I should check out the hallway then I will do so." She pulls the stick she keeps in her hair which elongates into her staff. "Is there anything I should be looking for specifically. My old master usually gave me more cut and dry orders so I am sorry if I seem a little questiony in my words."

She stares at streetwise with occasional glances back to Tesla to make sure his approval is met.

[foxx]

Taifuu managed to avoid most of the meeting by being in the bathroom, yes he was done, but he was playing with the automatic sinks. Turning them on, then off, then on, then off. He had heard about them from watching television but actually seeing them was something totally different. Once his amusement with the sinks was done he exited the bathroom to see what the others were planning.

"We're going to start looking the facility over? What do you want me to do?"

[albatross]

Just then, the public address system in the building starts to play music.

The instrumental music is: the Pink Panther, composed by Henry. Mancini

The music is quite loud and the special forces soldiers all assume radio silence and ready their weapons, though no threat is visible yet.