The New Vanguard! Frostbite Issue #5

Admin wrote:Yeoman. Another option for Frostbite to call on. Where was Lionheart? Frostbite looked about. Sounds of distant battle could still be heard, but he couldn't see anything in here. Something was going on... and time was running out!

Frostbite took note of the address before switching off the computer and going to the part of the house that still seemed to have life in it. He had to wonder who was behind this. Lionheart seemed to be involved in somehow, but was he here? Only way to find out, was to check out what was going on.

Instructing Frostbot to keep up with what systems he could to discern what might be going on here, Frostbite then moved off toward the sounds. He got himself mentally prepared for whatever he could, going in dispersed but being ready to switch to his greater bulked up form should it be called for.

OOC: Right finally got a clue to what is going on, whilst I head down to the scene of the combat, I will try and see if I can get ahold of Lionheart. Frostbite will not be any the wiser as to where he is and indeed would suspect that the noise might be coming from Lionheart. I'll make a 'B-line' to try and get to the location asap.

Sj

Frostbite searched... and everywhere he went he heard distant sounds...

Explosions, laser blasts... though so quiet as to be a fair way away, behind walls, under the ground?

He frowned.

Crouching, he tipped his head to one side. Then he knelt on the floor and pressed his head to it. Downstairs? The noise was coming from the floor. But... he looked about, then asked Frostbot "Are there any floors below this one?"

'According to schematics this is the lowest floor but it is expansive, covering the area of four football fields. An impressive engineering feat, and the geothermal energy generator is particularly ingenious.' the program replied.

Why then did the sounds seem to come from below him? He looked. Carpeted floor... with a super strong hand he tore up a section. Under carpet heating, then concrete, glassy smooth. CRUNCH! A might frozen fist pounded it, smashing a chunk free... more rock underneath. What the...?

Frostbite wondered what was going on. Then he looked up. Tucked away in a pile of rubbish - failed projects, broken equipment, general debris mostly including pieces of metal, broken electronic devices and even a smashed tv - there was something else. Shiny. Like a ray gun. Gleaming. Was that junk? Or had Wandafar realized what was happening and hidden something? Or could it be a trap?

Admin wrote:Frostbite wondered what was going on. Then he looked up. Tucked away in a pile of rubbish - failed projects, broken equipment, general debris mostly including pieces of metal, broken electronic devices and even a smashed tv - there was something else. Shiny. Like a ray gun. Gleaming. Was that junk? Or had Wandafar realized what was happening and hidden something? Or could it be a trap?

Frostbite played back the message Wandafar had left in his mind

"I vos vorking on ze shrinking thingy for Lionhear"

Or something like that. Could that have been an early prototype? The noises might not be below him, but smaller than him, hence the sense of distance. Frostbite scratched an imaginary itch. This was way above him, and besides how was this connected to Lionheart?

Moving over to the device, Frostbite took it up. Since Wandafar had said something about keying its grip to to the team's DNA, it should be ok for him to touch it. Nothing was going to be learned standing around. As he reached out for it, he wondered what he'd do next. The team, such as it was had hidden in the safe house. He was keen to know how everyone was doing, especially their recent wounded. But it would be irresponsible to leave the place unguarded and still under attack by assailants unknown. Frostbite had to hope help came soon.

OOC: Ok so grab the gun, and let Frostbot do his thing with it, as best he can. Then I think we check out what we can from below, see if we can't get some magnifiers or lenses to look at the ground. If I can find anything I'll scope it up and put it away for later. After that it'll be securing the base and checking in with the others, when help comes. However things may yet take an unexpected turn so over to you...

Sj

Frostbot considered the input that Frostbites senses were telling him.

'The device appears to emit a kind of energy, not as a weapon but with another effect, I suspect. The barrel has a number of lenses, thousands possibly, suggesting it is a portable magnifier of some kind, requiring an energy source of some unknown kind. It appears that Wandafar was keen to keep it from some enemies grasp but left it in such a place as to be accessible to the team, specifically you and Lionheart, plus others. I sare say there may be more clues in the computer as to the use and requirements of the device.' said Frostbot.

Frostbite moved back to the computer. Frostbot enquired 'May I?' with a request to temporarily take over Frostbites movements!

Handing over the reins Frostbite watched as his hands danced over the keyboard and typed a whole page of code in.

The computer reacted instantly, and Frostbites hands continued. Gibberish appeared on the screen and Frostbite translated. 'The computer has an advanced kind of AI. Wandafar terms it 'Jethro lite' which is in many ways similar to my own sentient program. Remarkable. His mind is truly a wonder, and clearly not of this time or possibly this planet. Regardless, the Jethro Lite program has explained that Wandafars' main project, a shrinking ray with which to reduce Lionheart in size, was taken by forces unknown, ironically enough by shrinking it. This is the backup, a portable 'mk 2' version which has one use only, unlike the main machine. The problem is the power source, which will be a white bead of 'Dwarf Star Matter' of some kind. It will be incredibly dense and heavy for its size. On this desk was a gravity nullifier that allowed Wandafar to study it. If you turn to the left you will see the remains of the device, thus suggesting that has been stolen too.'

Great. That was gone too.

Frostbite sighed. Time to start looking about for a magnifying glass or microscope, see if the sounds of battle were not coming from around him, but below him.

He looked under the desk.

The floor was cracked and collapsed around a central point. It looked like the desk had been pulled across to cover it. In the centre of a miniature crater was a pea shaped object, white in colour. Frostbite looked at the gun, then the pea. No telling how long before those attackers - whoever they were - came back...

Admin wrote:The floor was cracked and collapsed around a central point. It looked like the desk had been pulled across to cover it. In the centre of a miniature crater was a pea shaped object, white in colour. Frostbite looked at the gun, then the pea. No telling how long before those attackers - whoever they were - came back...

This was sounding more like a mystery wrapped within a conundrum. There were any number of choices to take, the equipment he'd found plus the white dwarf matter, were too valuable and precious to fall into enemy hands. Frostbite had no idea what Lionheart had stumbled on. But this equipment was to go to him, so that was an urgent need. But also the base mustn't be compromised. Too much could lead back to Justin and Frostbite felt the team owed him so much. It would play into the wrong hands if things were uncovered here. Then there was the fact he was desperate to catch up with Wandafar and the others to see how they were all doing.

Frostbite bent down and sought to pick up the 'White Dwarf Matter'. He had nothing like Lionheart's strength, so he had to wonder if he'd struggle or not. However without the gravity nullifier he had little choice but to try. And then to wait things out for the reinforcements or intruders.

OOC: Ok so I know little of Lionheart's present mission, since its been going on in Frostbites background. However I now know i need to catch up with him and the equipment. But before I can I think it best to wait out the extra back up and make sure the house in left in trust worthy and secure hands, especially with an army knocking at our door. At some point I am going to have to have a chat with Wandafar about the company he keeps letting in?

Sj

Frostbite WAS strong enough to lift the pea sized object, but it was amazingly heavy!

For such a tiny thing he wondered how it could weight so much! Taking a look about the place, he considered what he saw.

The place had been invaded from the inside. The smashed machinery and mess of the place suggested that indiscriminate firing of laser type weapons had gone on. No bodies, or blood. That was a good thing. So... He paced to the main smashed machine, of which he hoped there was a duplicate at the Executives old flat. They ... he looked about. No way in? Teleported or... he crouched and listened. Grew? As strange as that sounded, he thought of it as a possibility seeing as a teleport probably wouldn't get through the force field. They enlarged, taking Wandafar by surprise and abducting him, but not before he tipped this pea size white dwarf star stuff onto the floor under the desk and out of sight, plus he'd stashed this gun thing. He looked at that.

Using this gun, and the Wite Dwarf star matter, he might be able to shrink and go after Wandafar. Frostbot confirmed 'it does indeed seem that this portable device is for that purpose, whereas a larger device might be able to shrink several people at the same time, this is a one use one shot device. Possibly why Wandafar abandoned it.'

So then. Wandafar had been shrunk to microscopic size, and might still be in the carpet...? He wondered if he should get the hoover out.

He also thought about Lionheart. He was the more powerful member of the team and the only easily accessible friend that Frostbite had... though the UKChampions definitely owed him more than one favour!

He looked about, then listened. The distant sounds of battle had stopped?

Jethro appeared, flickering, in the room. "Sir. The mansions power supply is at a critical level. With your permission I should like to put it in 'lockdown' mode but to do so would activate the full defences and it is recommended you be absent when that happens. Anything living will be stunned, anything non living will be destroyed if it presents a threat to the mansion. The place will then present a holographic image to outside onlookers to represent a place off limits. When the process is complete you will be informed via comms. In the meantime the reactor will recharge itself. The exterior attackers have been destroyed thanks to your help."

Admin wrote:He looked about, then listened. The distant sounds of battle had stopped?

Jethro appeared, flickering, in the room. "Sir. The mansions power supply is at a critical level. With your permission I should like to put it in 'lockdown' mode but to do so would activate the full defences and it is recommended you be absent when that happens. Anything living will be stunned, anything non living will be destroyed if it presents a threat to the mansion. The place will then present a holographic image to outside onlookers to represent a place off limits. When the process is complete you will be informed via comms. In the meantime the reactor will recharge itself. The exterior attackers have been destroyed thanks to your help."

Wandafar might have been captured, the rest clearly must be safe owing to the lack of any remains.  Grim though that thought was.  Lionheart might be free to come, but then what!  It would only delay the time needed to get Wandafar back.  Frostbite didn't like the choice but choice was really the only choice he had.  

"Delay that Jethro, Wandafar has been shrunk and possible captured.  That is how I believe our invaders got in.  As much as I hate to say this, I need to go after Wandafar and see if he is still alive to be rescued.  Until I get back the house will have to wait, please convey that message to anyone Justin has been able to divert here to help us.  This might be a one way deal, so I'd suggest waiting but not waiting too long.  If I am not back in....OOC: a suitable length of time, not last minute countdown to within 1 second here please   then consider me gone and take what steps you think necessary.  By, for now at least..."

And with that Frostbite inserted the material into the gun before using it on himself to shrink down and seek to rescue Wandafar...

Sj

Frostbite gave the order, then turned the device on himself.

'You may wish to consider that Wandafar threw this in the junk pile because it might not have worked correctly. That said I have interfaced with its system and there appears to be no errors in its computer matrix. You might want to push the batteries in a bit tighter though as they are nearly falling out.' said Frostbot.

Frostbite turned the weapon upside down and noted the batteries were indeed cheap off the shelf supermarket jobs and held in with sticky tape!

With a roll of the eyes he left the message for Justin via Jethro and activated the device.

The world grew around him! And kept growing!

The carpet was suddenly 1000 feet high and growing, then he was falling between gaps and suddenly there was a flash!

=========

Frostbite woke...

And gaped all about him!

He was in outer space!!!



There were a cluster of what looked like planets nearby - well, nearby was a relative term in space... His bodies ability to 'seal' it's 'systems' would protect him from the vacuum for maybe an hour or a bit more... he hoped!

After that...?

At least he wouldn't die of the cold...

'Before you ask...' said Frostbot 'No. I have absolutely no idea where we are...'

OOC END OF ISSUE. FROSTBITE gets 100HP for his efforts, and is now:

FROSTBITE HP 144

It was the plan to get Lionheart into the Microverse for a series of adventures, but Frostbite will do just as well... if he lives long enough to enjoy it! There will be a distinctly less Superhero and more Sci Fi flavour with the coming adventure Dave, hope you don't mind. Well, Sci Fi, swords, sandals and spaceships, weird creatures, aliens, galactic wars.. you get the idea.

NEXT:

FROSTBITE: INTO THE MICROVERSE!

I don't mind in the least, love to see where this going to go next as I to always thought it would be Lionheart doing this. But searching for Wandafar...who know doubt will be having a wail of a time, works just as well.

Sj