UESP Forums

"Yeah, yeah, good of humanity and Spigs and all that crap," Alex said with a dismissive wave, "But what kind of profit are we talking here?"

"It is a sham," Amanda said, agreeing with The Voice. Then asked, "Spig?"

"Someone with abilities that aren't normal," Alex said to Amanda, "Dick's is obvious, and so's the puppet guy- I however make things explode."
She doesn't know she's one? That's the only connection between us all.

"Well I don't have any ability," Amanda said. "In fact, I just have problems, which is why I don't think I belong here." She had to nearly shout over the loud, crude music.

"Ah now don't go denying who you really are," Alex responded, "You don't think blowing stuff up counts as a problem? Just put your mind to it, I'm sure you'll think of the thing that makes you different."

"The only thing different about me isn't any kind of ability, it's just a..." Amanda stopped. What was it? A curse? A mental illness? Whatever it was, she decided that she didn't need to tell Alex, or any of these people. She would probably be gone soon anyway once the director learned of their mistake. "...nothing. It's nothing. I mean there is nothing," she finished.

Maddie could hear Amanda and Alex's conversation, and thought it was most likely that KIRIN had not in fact made a mistake. But since it looked like Amanda wasn't comfortable with sharing what she thought was her 'problem', Maddie thought of a more indirect way of helping her figure it out.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Director," she called politely, raising her hand. It was the first time she'd spoken since arriving in the room. "If we're all going to be working together, could you tell us what everyone here's abilities are? Just in case, you know... in case some of them aren't immediately apparent."

"I think the lady doth protest too much," Alex said simply to Amanda, "Realising and believing something like this is mad, I know, but you have to accept who you are- no one can force you to do that, you have to get that stage yourself, I wish you the best in it Amanda."

Amanda gave a frustrated sigh. "Huhhh. Fine. I'll probably never see you again after today anyway," she said, turning to Alex. "I hear this Voice. It's in my head, and it doesn't always say nice things." She turned her gaze once again to her lap where her hands played with the zipper of her sweater. She looked defeated when she spoke next, "I'm just going crazy. No powers or anything here."

Stay seated quietly and just waited, trying to figure out what they were talking about. "Okay, maybe i'll look on the internet.. because i got no idea what's going on.."

The director smiled ever so slightly. "Your SPIG? I don't know much of you, however I do know one thing that you share in common and that's why you're here. That is because of the sequence of anomalous genes in your structure." I'm going to kill that damn... She thought to herself. "I know a few, mostly those with the containment collars upon them." The music video had finished by now. "Joe Keller, code-name designated; Jute. His power is this living thread he uses. His body is otherwise a soulless husk but for his core thread." She pointed at Jute, before her finger moved to Dick on the ceiling. "Dick Lains, code-name designated; Drakon. His power is his reptilian physiology, claws and that sticking ability of his." Her gaze then turned to Alex. "Armament, real name Alex Martins. His power is the ability to induce explosions in what he's touched."

A half smirk came across her face. "As for the rest of you, I don't know your powers or if you even have powers, all I know is that you hold a remarkable anomaly in your genes. Which is the reason I've recruited you all." Her hands pressed on a holographic keyboard her gaze throwing over all present. "As such those with containment collars live precariously on the edge, if they do something unauthorised by the leader or others in the group.. Well. It won't be pretty." A pause then another look over. A sigh emitted from Jess. "Well, might as well.. Any other questions?"

"Sounds like a pretty unique ability to me," Alex shrugged, "What does it say?"
Can't believe she didn't even mention pay!
"Boss lady, pay? How much we talking here?"

Amanda's eyes widened as she heard The Voice say, "GOING TO KILL...SHE..DIDN'T..PAY".

"It just said 'going to kill...she didn't pay'," Amanda answered Alex. Then she said, "See? She said not all of us may have powers."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." Dick told the entire room as he slowly stood up on the ceiling. "I would like to add, if it's ok for me to do so, that I came vola... volun.... i agreed to help and i just want to tell everyone that there is no reason to fear me." He informed the entire group. "I am rather new to this but i feel that i should tell you about my past. If this is not the case or it is a poor idea for me to do so, i will not reveal my past until it is a good idea. I am rather content with forgoing any supplies of water as i am able to drink most forms of water. I apologise if i have spoken out of turn and will make up for it. But if there is time and if there is a process for showing our abilities to help us work as one mind, i am rather willing to show my claws." He told the group as he laid back down on the ceiling. His tail was hanging down from it and may have gotten in someone's view. I do hope any humans we meet are nice to me and not try to kill me. THat would be rather inconvient.

A living thread? Weird! Sherwood looked at 'Jute' as Jess described his ability. He turned to Alex when she described his. "An explosive touch? Cool!" He smiled and looked at the others, then became slightly concerned at the mention of collars.

After Alex and Dick spoke, he directed a question at Jess. "Yeah, question. So what are we actually here for then? We each have some 'anomaly' in our genes, but...so what? Haven't all SPIGs got an anomaly? That's what gives us our abilities, right?"

"Huh, that was kinda what I was thinking," Alex said utterly baffled, "She did say 'remarkable anomaly'."
Alex turned to Sherwood.
"Very very useful in my line of work too."

"You were thinking of killing someone?" Amanda asked Alex.

"Well I was thinking about how she didn't mention pay," Alex said with a sigh, "Funnily enough, homicide on a pressurised capsule flying God knows how far above solid ground with no known route of escape is not far up my list."

Keen to know more about the others, Sherwood forgot his question to the director for a moment, and instead asked Alex one.
"So, what is your line of work then? If you don't mind me asking."

"Doctor Viktor Cheng, my codename is Vanadium." said Viktor finally introducing himself to the others. "I was the lead on the PRC's Project Prometheus, a project designed to giving SPIG like powers to those born without them, a goal I achieved. But I left China, now I'm here." I suppose I should let them know what I'm good at "My formula improved my physiology and cognitive functions, I can fight and I can speak six languages. But more importantly, I probably know more about SPIG biology than anyone you've ever met." Viktor took a break from boasting about his own abilities to ask Jess a question. "How did you find these operatives? Do you have a database of Spigots, some scanner that detects anomalous genes? The killers could be using something similar to find their victims."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Cheng but is it okay if i ask you about a few defintions of a few words you have mentioned?" Dick asked Victor as he crawled along the ceiling until he was directly above him.

Amanda nodded briefly at Alex's casual comment about killing someone, but didn't say anything, instead waiting to see how he answered Sherwood's question.

"I'm a mercenary," Alex said very simply, "Usually by companies or even government departments needing some independent... Operators so they don't have to deal with certain legal implications, sometimes by PMCs that need to train their operatives or soldiers or whatever label they've called them- occasionally it's to bulk out their numbers, doesn't matter to me, if the pay is good then I'm in."

“Sounds...dangerous. You end up using your 'explosive touch' much?” Sherwood thought for a moment back to when they had shook hands.
“Can you blow up anything? I mean...you...can't use it on a living person, can you?”
His face scrunched up at the thought of someone suddenly exploding without warning.

"On stones more than anything, make very good grenades," Alex shrugged, "It only works on non-living things, I could explode something someone is wearing for example but not actually them- functionally the same mind...."