Nomadic:Sessions:20160227
Vicente: "He [Dr Sullivan] thinks you're a Fed and I'm a hood. I'm refined." Marcus: "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
As Valerie types into the console, the photo of a woman appears on the display and a voice says, "Did you know you look like Maria Berry?" "That's Vanessa Vaughn," Valerie replies; "Why are you here?" Three more photos appear, labeled Dr Thorn, Lawrence Cross, and Julia Yeoman. The latter is identified as a theoretical physicist who studies 'soft masses.'
A handsome-in-a-greasy-way young man slips into the room and taunts Valerie for not knowing the correct password, then says she shouldn't be in here. She points out that the device is in a public building and the door had been unlocked. He tries to impress her by giving his pedigree -- his name is Edward Stark, and his parents are billionaires Tony and Pepper Stark ("They made their money in 'arms') -- and is crestfallen when she seems completely unimpressed by his name, background, or wealth. He mentions a party taking place at the Phi Kappa house tonight.
Strange noises interrupt Father Martin's meditation, and beads of moisture form on his brow. He wipes his forehead and his hand comes away covered with blood. The noises resolve into the babbling voices of three men and two women who have apparently been staring at him, and as he gets up to walk away, they follow. A small object falls at his feet and he picks it up -- it is a bugging device. He tells the others, "Security is trying to bug us."
Vicente has heard of 'Tony Stark' as a comic-book character called 'Iron Man,' but Rick says this society does not have comic books.
Vicente, Marcus, Father Martin, and Valerie go to a nearby Starbucks. Vicente checks Fr Martin's aura and finds no new contact with demons. At Starbucks Valerie goes up to the counter and tells the baristas to go on break for awhile and she will mind the counter. Vicente motions over a tall but stocky man with black hair and blue eyes, who gives his name as Lomar Boyer. Fr Martin shows him the bug; "Look familiar?" "Yes." Vicente casts Sense Foes which highlights several people, including Boyer. Boyer says "You are a suspicious group" and "we are inconspicuous security for government projects." They have already identified several in Vicente's group (who Vicente realizes have doubles in this world): Fr Martin is at a retreat in California, Vicente Carbone died at age three; Marcus Johnson is on active assignment in Berlin; Valerie, or rather, well-known actress Maria Berry, is filming a movie.
Vicente points out the other 'foes' and Boyer claims they're not his. He identifies one woman as Callie Powell, a leader in some religious cult. Vicente and Fr Martin call her over to their table. She points out another man named Forrest Spears who works for a Mr Wells, a former KGB agent who now works for the Chinese.
Dr Thorn is head of research at Newberry College, specializing in "applied string theory and quantum linkage" which he expects to lead to a starcraft propulsion method similar to Star Trek's warp field. Franklin Richards (another name Vicente recognizes from the comics) is building the equipment.
Vicente: "Nobody needs to be shot, right?" Fr Martin: "Prevent your heart from being ripped out by demons." Vicente: "Go, and take your backup team that you lied about with you, or we will have to go back to the shooting."
Vicente teleports Boyer outside. After pausing for several moments to clear his head, he walks rapidly away.
Vicente, Marcus, and Fr Martin go to the Hawkings Educational Building. Fr Martin enters Dr Thorn's office, Vicente goes into Dr Yeoman's office, and Marcus flirts with a coed. Fr Martin warns Thorn, "You're going to attempt this propulsion system, and you will be destroyed by demons." Thorn says that a minor test is scheduled for Saturday. Yeoman tells Vicente that they're inventing warp drive, which 'in theory' could be a conduit between realities. She indicates to Vicente that she knows her office is bugged. Vicente casts Darkness, then asks Yeoman to let them attend the test. "We won't interfere. Our priest thinks a summoning is going on."
As the elevator doors close behind them, they notice a couple of 'suits' rushing into Yeoman's office.
Around 6:30pm the group dines at Chili's. Vicente invites to their table several of the people who have taken an abnormal interest in the group, including 'representatives' from Boyer and Spears as well as Collin, a private investigator working for Callie Powell.
A few hours later Vicente, Marcus, and Valerie arrive at the Phi Kappa party (Fr Martin, Jack, and Rick have gone to their rooms at the Ramada Inn). As soon as he sees Valerie, Edward Stark rushes up to her, bringing with him a friend named Dan Swift (whose father, he name-drops, is Tom Swift). Vicente casts Sense Foes which tags five people.
Fr Martin's Danger Sense interrupts his meditation, and he hears a soft hissing sound coming from the door. Grabbing his shotgun, he pulls open the door. In the hallway one man (M1) crouches beside another (M2) who is lying prone; the latter has run a hose attached to a gas canister beneath the door and is pumping noxious gas into the room. "Gentlemen..." Fr Martin addresses them, then with the butt of his shotgun strikes M2 a stunning blow to the head and continues, "...let's talk." M1 draws down on Fr Martin, who shoots him in the arm. Fr Martin learns that they work for someone code-named Baron and are part of a Russian cell.
Four more men (M3, M4, M5, M6) come running up the hall. Over the headset Fr Martin calls the rest of the group. Vicente teleports Valerie to the hallway in front of her hotel room and she shoots M3, M4, and M5. M6 fires a 'beanbag' stun round at her, which she dodges. Fr Martin takes aim and tells M6 to drop his weapon.
Valerie finds Jack unconscious in his room and drags him out into the hall. Fr Martin drags M1, M2, and M3 into his room and makes sure they are all knocked out. Then he kicks open Rick's door, finding him unconscious, and drags him and his laptop out into the hall. Valerie and Fr Martin manage to get Jack and Rick downstairs and into the Land Rover.
Vicente, meanwhile, had teleported to the driver's side of an idling car. He points his gun at the driver, who carefully places his hands atop the wheel. Vicente: "Who are you working for? I'll shoot you if you don't tell me." "I've already called backup --" >BANG< Grimacing with pain, the man gives his name as Albert Douglas.
Marcus guns down another goon with three shots from his AR15, then carefully checks over the Winnebago, finding no signs of sabotage and no bugs.
Fr Martin declares "We must get away from here" and suggests we take the Winnebago to an RV campground in Sumter National Forest, directly north of Newberry. By 1:00am the group has settled into a secluded spot.
Vicente teleports to his room at the Ramada and retrieves the rest of the group's stuff, avoiding all the cops swarming around the crime scene in the hallway. He locates the group's motorcycle and rides it back to the campground.
Rick remains unconscious from the effects of the gas. Vicente casts a spell to awaken Jack.
Marcus gets a pair of pliers as Vicente slaps Albert awake. Albert claims he's a 'driver'. He knows of Forrest Spears; "He's the head of another cell... Technically, we came to rescue you" but he doesn't know from whom "and claim you for ourselves." The groups out to get us are the government, "the religious nut-jobs... they're non-violent," the Chinese, the Russians (who might be German), and "some new group that's just arrived in the last week or so." Albert doesn't know why the government is "protecting that pissant little college." Marcus: "Hey, all you had to do was show up at Chili's!"
The next morning, Fr Martin shaves off his beard so as to be less recognizable. Jack suggests that the "new group" Albert mentioned is Tennessee's squad. Rick wants to know how much the group should trust Boyer, who claims to work for the government. Vicente: "We'll all be on the menu when the demons get here!"
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