15836/Science Your Way Out Of This...

Science Your Way Out Of This...
Date of Scene:	26 November 2023
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	A pair of Angels come to help Nathaniel Essex with a machine problem. Yes. Really.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Phantasm (Drago), Sinister

---

Lucifer has posed:
Something is different. There's that whole *feeling* in the air that not all is as it should be. The only issue is, everything within the Penthouse seems exactly as it has been. There's nothing out of place, nothing on fire...except for the fireplace itself where fire should be. But the air feels a bit lighter...perhaps even a bit brighter.

And some sources may point to the lab within the Penthouse.

Where the probability device rests, likely recharging after the last go round, but there are even sounds coming from the lab - if one can hear them. Or, upon looking at any video feed from within, the device might look like it's floating right next to a seriously bright light that looks - vaugely - shaped as a humanoid.

Might be that Lucifer is playing around with things...except he is currently contemplating eyelids in the middle of the afternoon, letting laziness take it's toll on him for the day since there isn't much going on at the moment. Which begs the question. Who - or what - is in the lab without permission, without a worry of security, and without having come through the doors...

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Alongside humanoid shape another one seemingly stands, with what could be considered an appendage gesturing to the device. The other appendage bends, seemingly tilting something back towards the top part of the body.

Darn picture quality on camera feeds...

Sinister has posed:
There's a few things that will annoy Sinister in short order. People messing with his things when he's not given permission to do so, is one of them. It brings out the monster in the man, more than it has any right to.

The sound of electrical dynamos powering up can be heard deep in the bowels of the tower of Lux, but that's as far as any scientific intervention goes at the current time.

The door of the lab opens however, to Essex stood with an outline of red about his person, holding the door negligently wide, despite it being heavy as all get out, with as much ease as a latch key garden gate.

That expression. Oh, priceless -- glowery grim lipped but holding his temper, you could plant potatos in the furrows of his brow.

"I'm going to suppose that there's a logic here. A rationale that is both innovative and enlightening, but I'll be buggered if I know what it is at the moment." Teeth are sharp. It's a thing that happens when he's a bit miffed.

Lucifer has posed:
The glow in the camera feed is just because the cameras pick up LIGHT...and while not the Morningstar themselves, Angels do still have a glow about them - sometimes not for the naked eye to see - but can be picked up.

When the door swings open, Uriel shifts to look in that direction, not seemingly anything other than slightly amused perhaps. "Ah. Nathaniel. Good afternoon. Sources were telling me that you might be having a bit of a problem with your machine here. I have to say it is an impressive instrument as it stands. My words...they escape me. But I digress..." He looks over to Raphael and inclines his head.

"How do the humans phrase it? It's easier to ask forgiveness instead of permission? Something like that? Anyway...idioms aside...I do beg your pardon. I just wanted to come and see the machine myself. Perhaps deduce if there was anything I could offer to fix the problem.."

He finishes this and then looks back to Raphael once more. "I think Raphael came just so he could drink from his flask again. Tho...he might be able to offer a hand as well?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael was in a slightly less presentable position. As Sinister opens the door, Raphael was mid sip of his preferred drink. The flask is lowered slightly as he considers the doctor looking at them with a less than happy look. "..."

He holds up the flask to the doctor, offering him a sip. "...I have more than ONE." Raphael corrects Uriel. "But I do have an interest considering the methods used to help power the device and one of the cautionary actions." There's a slight uptilt to his lips, directing the expression to the scientist. "Azrael is in a good mood."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister's mouth opens, shuts again. There's a querulous preponderance occurring that creates quite a few unfinished inquiry expressions and a LOT of fishmouthing, before he simply lets his breath out in a guff of air. There's a shake of the head to Raphael, given that it takes very little Ambrosia to get one in a position where the sky could fall and you'd be grinning the entire time, flat on your back and tracing your fingers in vapor trails against the Meggido sky.

"I feel I should probably have my wits about me, Raphael. Thank you for the offer though." And then, to the rest. To the being impressed. To being put to the test!

"Well... I..." again, a pre-amble around some alternate sentences, before he inclines his head and takes the compliment for what it is. "Thank you. This is actually only the interface. The engine itself is elsewhere. Safe from being accidentally poked, or not so accidentally tampered with -- " he pirrhouettes his finger at the ceiling of the lab "--synchronous transmission via my wormhole rings."

Lucifer has posed:
"Oh! So -thats- why it wouldn't turn on.." Uriel expressions a bit and then clears his throat. "I mean. Makes sense. To keep the heart and the body separate so it doesn't just..." He uses his hands to mimic an explosion. Then he glances back to Nathaniel - perhaps seeing if the man has made any progress into further entering the lab and shutting the door.

"Maybe leave one for Lucifer as a parting gift... you know he'll love you for it..." Uriel says this much back to his brother before his eyes befall the machine hovering in front of him. "So. You've done two trials with it...and had surprising results... but something still feels a little off. Do I have that assessed about right?" Oh of course he does, but he's going to make a conversation out of it regardless. "Is Azrael in a good mood? I should go say hello to her at some point. Anyway. Yes. So. What's wrong with it?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
To the refusal, Raphael shrugs slightly before screwing the cap back on to the flask. The container ends up being pocketed. To the comment about leaving an extra flask behind, Raphael doesn't give a response either way. Verbally at least. But, the wink directed to Sinister could possibly be interpreted as one.

Or maybe he has something in his eye.

Do angels get something in their eyes?

The question regarding Azrael does get a nod. "She was last time I spoke with her."

Sinister has posed:
"I'm glad. I'm fond of Azrael." Very fond. He's looked her in the eye a few times in his life and found her kindness to be great. Sinister caught the wink, a sparkle in the red of his gaze a response to it, but little else. The red outline though, fades with a flex of his arm and the door closes behind him as he steps forth into the lab.

"It's got some fun little quirks is all... and we've been working out what they are. The light quality reflects your feather, Uriel. Which is one tell. But it's otherwise very immersive and requires resolution before escape is possible -- at least, I assume that is the case. But when /in/ the scenario, it takes a while for the clues to notify you that you're /in/ an alternate possibility. It also leaves glaring loopholes you could drive a truck through and /possibly/ that is intentional. As a kind of 'wake up and pay attention' device, I'm not sure. But I did not -program- that in." Sin shrugs now, folding his arms in the small of his back as he draws closer to the sibling archangels.

"My suspicion is that I am involving science and magic together, which are not necessarily analogous and sometimes argue with one another. Just containing the energies and channelling them takes a phenomenal amount of very careful calibration and blessed gold wiring."

Lucifer has posed:
Uriel listens as Nathaniel explains the quirks and the goings on of the machine. At some point, he has gently returned it to it's resting spot, but only to sort of squat and glare at it from top and sides. "Perhaps the science is being too literal in the way of wanting to test the probability...and the magic is trying to compensate." Then he thinks on that, shakes his head, and rephrases. "Strike that. Reverse it. The magic of my feather and thus my powers of probability gathering is being too literal, or in some ways, too general... and the science is trying to compensate. To fill in the holes..."

He straightens himself then, and turns to face Nathaniel properly once more. "Which could mean it needs a little more..." He wiggles his fingers in the air. Angelic Jazz Hands. "Touch of the Angel as it were...because the Science is precise. It has to be, or it likely wouldn't work at all. Perhaps a tiny bit of tweaking here and there but I am not to say... it's not my speciality..." A shrug. "What do you think, Raphael?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael is quiet for a a few moments as he looks to the machine. "Perhaps it's less about how the answers are coming out but the nature of the questions being posed to it. Open ended questions, lead to open ended responses. Like giving someone a writing prompt without a general road map. SPECIFIC questions lead to specific answers."

Sinister has posed:
Listening acutely to what is being said, lips pressed thin into a very thoughtful mein, Sinister nods his head slowly. "That is entirely possible, that it requires just a little more... oomph. But I fear what that might bring, in all honesty. It was not -simple- or easy at all, to harness the energy of the feather as it -is- right now. I do not know what extra measures science might have to add, just to be able to compensate. I might have... to... uh... give myself a temporary infusion to get it to calibrate properly." Sin chews on his cheek, looking from the cube and keyboard as it's set back down, to Raphael at the medic's suggestion.

"I was inherantly specific about the first question asked, which I admit, did get a rather obvious answer. I inquired on a potential of if Lucifer had won. It was surreal..."

Lucifer has posed:
Uriel blinks. A couple of times. Then remains remotely silent for a moment. Finally, "That is...a very specific question...I am sure the results were...interesting." He offers this much. Is there a chance he knows how that scenario could play out? The dozens of other scenarios of what ifs and if onlys... He shakes his head after a moment. "When you say give yourself temporary infusion..." Going back to that bit. "How do you mean precisely? The way you infused yourself with Lucifer? Or something a bit less... internal?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael bears a striking resemblance to Uriel in terms of reaction. There's a slight glance up before he looks back to Sinister. "And I assume the other was much less specific which was the one that had the loopholes?"

Sinister has posed:
"More obvious ones, Raphael. A moment...." Sinister stares at the interface and cues up the scenarios to play on holoimage, for the archangels' viewing pleasure. Once they've had a hairy eyeballing of that, he glances at Uriel, then up at the ceiling, at which he squints. Ozone crackles, then a ring descends along the wall from hidden diodes and there's the feeling of disjunction from time and space, relative to translocation -- given they've got wings that take them wherever they need to be, it's a poor man's version of that... but achieved without the celestial gifts and a LOT of electricity.

And where the ring materializes them?

It's a library of sorts, in the very heard of which is a gigantic gyroscope of concentric rings, spinning through multiple different axis around a gilded cube that shines bright golden. The entire device has two halos; one that seems celestial and another that is reddish in hue and is formed of perfectly placed crystals, likely quartz, in a gridwork that is electrified.

And around this central theme of immense power, there's rows and rows and rows of samples; an arc in actual fact, of thousands upon thousands of genes arrayed in stasis banks. Podlights illuminate on what seem to be runners in the ceiling high above. It's all subterranean, it seems.

Sinister gestures to the power source, then the vast library. "Somewhere in this collection, I have several technomancer samples, not all of them from mutants. Some were from odd... individuals. I have a few alien technomancers also. A temporary infusion would be one set to degrade after a period of time, triggered by a dissolution of protective coating. My immune system is rather aggressive with intruders."

Lucifer has posed:
The feel of ozone and moving through space is a funny feeling when you're not doing it yourself. Still, when they materialize in that huge library, Uriel can't help but give a slight whistle of appreciation. He looks around the room for a bit before spying the device in the middle, walking over to it, and looking at it from all angles. "You do not cease to impress me..." He offers as another compliment. An urge to reach out and touch falls over him but he shoves it down as quickly as it begins to rise.

"Centuries of DNA claiming and storing...all compiled into an arc of information. Noah would be impressed too I think." A joke, sort of, and he grins.

"Okay. So you're looking to get some of my DNA? Set it up to degrade so you don't keep it for forever, just long enough to give your machine a little more oomph? If that's the case... how do I supply it? Spit? Blood? Another feather?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael's lips tighten at the visual of Lucifer and Sinister dealing with a bunch of kids in their penthouse but one can't hid the amusement in the eyes. The look fades as he finds himself in another location with little effort of his own needed. Head tilting up, he takes a studious assessment of the new surroundings.

Uriel's comment causes for him to glance over to his brother. "Of course it would when he was just limited to two each."

Sinister has posed:
"I was always a little doubtful about that particular legend, until they actually uncovered a large barge boat in Turkiye, I think it was. And some geological surveillance in the area did suggest a major flooding event, although methinks it's the confabulation of an oral tradition finally placed pen to paper..." Sinister comments that, deadpan as he looks at Raphael. Blink, blink, then a grin and a doff of the head with a little two finger salute from the temple.

And then the question. "There's the thing... I am not altogether sure how to do so. This is... yourself isn't it? I mean..." he gestures toward the archangels. "This is not a mortal seeming is it? It was /incredibly/ difficult to extract Lucifer's DNA even from his mortal form. It destroyed a couple of machines in my efforts /just/ to isolate his telomeres, which was what I was aiming to do. Is it possible, Uriel?" But he looks at both of them.

Lucifer has posed:
Uriel grins. "Some things were taken out of proportion... but that's not the point of the comment either..." Perhaps he dodges any sort of religious discussion because he knows Nathaniel's viewpoint on the topic. Which only serves to further humor him since the man is literally canoodling with the Devil.

Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all.

Back to the business at hand. "Right, but you were extracting the DNA for a more permanant fixture in your own self. This is extracting DNA from the conduit that already exists in the machine as well, and needs to only be dolled up enough for a temporary surge that will hopefully align the science and the magic. Hell, I almost wonder if I could just stick my finger into the machine while it's running and see what happens..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
If there was any doubt to the relation Uriel had to Lucifer, it was likely quelled with that comment uttered by the younger being. Only instead of eating things, Uriel's sticking things into other things.

"Would a scenario have to be running before he sticks it in?" Raphael ponders, "Or would it just need to be in the initial booted up stage?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister gives Uriel a look. It's A Look <tm> -- which is followed up by giving Raphael another Look. There is a kind of blackly amused headshake that follows a deep breath taken. "Lets not stick fingers into potentially disasterous light sockets and leave it to the scientist that knows how to disengage certain protocols and not make the eastern seaboard explode. I think that's probably a far stretch, but it's a possibility given the sheer potential in the feather... it terrifies some onlookers, you know." As well it should!

Glancing along the rows of samples for a moment, he lifts one hand up and a metal spatulae device flies to his waiting hand, along with a culture tube from a different direction. "A cheek scraping from the inside of your mouth should do it, Uriel. I should be able to replicate a viable sample from that and extract what's necessary after a few attempts."

Lucifer has posed:
Uriel eyes the Look he gets, raises a brow, and then holds his hands up as if in surrender. "Apparently that was a bad idea..." He says this much with a chuckle before giving a shrug of his shoulders. "We certainly don't want to be giving the whole eastern seaboard a fright, that's for sure. I was just contemplating all the viable options. One of them being just align myself with what's already in the machine. But I digress..." This much mentioned and then he glances to Raphael. "Curious to see what the machine would do to us, brother?"

When Nathaniel mentions that it would only take a cheek scraping to try and achieve the process behind the thought, the Angel nods. "Whatever helps of course..." Saying this much as he closes the distance between himself and Nathaniel, leans forward a bit to open his mouth and allow the Doctor to do his work.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael turns his head to look to Uriel at the question. "As in subjecting ourselves to a simulation?" There's a quiet consideration before he tilts his head before nodding. "I am curious. But if this was able to cause Lucifer confusion, we should take precautions before doing such a thing."

He looks to Sinister, "This may be considered overly simplistic, but sometimes the simple solutions have merit. Have you considered giving people a note before starting the simulation up?"

Sinister has posed:
"Oddly enough, Nick suggested that." Sinister responds to Raphael, though it's with a considerable absence of focus, as what might initially seem like a very simple task, in fact takes quite a bit of work to achieve. Angelic invulnerability means patience is a virtue, along with micro-fine kinetic abrasion with telekinesis along with dilligent and repetative spatula scraping. Eventually, he's persuaded enough skin cells from the inside cheek to dislodge and with a peer at the tip of the instrument, sets it in jelly and whisks it off with his mind to be properly cultured and centrifuged.

With a nod, satisfied, he looks briefly rather lost in thought, aspect stilled, eyes narrowed at the distance of a potential horizon.

Then, the smile returns, bedimpled and wry, looking at them both. "The checking of the pockets is considered to be an added reminder, in scenario protocol. But I'm curious..." he tilts his head. "Given the possibility of entering to see an improbability scenario, what would you two even query?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Provided one doesn't enter the scenario naked as the day he was created..." Uriel comments as an off hand remark of seeing his brother in the full nude for that one recollection. "Still... it's an idea. Or perhaps a note left in a conspicious place, or a marking made where there wasn't one before? I don't know... it seems fairly up and down how one reacts to the scenario to begin with, and further, pulls themselves out of it..."

The cheek scraping done after a lingering moment, Uriel rubs his tongue along the cheek but really it's healed likely before he even touches the spot. The odd sensation is just an echo that fades within moments.

"Oh now that IS a question. I am not even sure... especially since... well... I am already sort of blessed with the power of probability. I think Raphael would be better served to answer such a question."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael nods, "Well one would assume now knowing the nature of the simulations that the participants would be allowed enough clothing to be properly attired to have pockets. Unless they're just sticklers for punishment. But ideally you would tailor the notice to the basic mannerisms that are commonplace to the target. Humans seem to share a lot of similar... ticks and coping mechanisms... Like Hallmark Movie plots. There are so many but they're more or less the same formula, just with different packaging."

He pauses... "Likely picking a situation where one ends up wondering what would have happened if they had chosen differently. Or when one wonders if their actions had any effect."

Raphael pauses, "The 'Its A Wonderful Life' style inquiry."

Sinister has posed:
"Hmm. Stories have set patterns, which are psychologically driven, so... that isn't too much of a stretch. And given your kind and the human race are supposedly distant cousins..." Folding his arms loosely, Sin considers that, looking again at the giant glowing perpetual motion improbability drive in its gyroscopic gridwork.

"I will admit, the temptation is very real, to indulge myself in a trip down memory lanes. It would be thoroughly possible to become hopelessly lost in nostalgia and wishful thinking."

Lucifer has posed:
"Which still leads us wondering to what inquiry a couple of angels would give to the machine and how it would play the scenario out. I'm not actually sure I would want to participate in such a thing. My probability plus the machine's might play tiddlywinks until the balls all drop and we're left scrambling to re-assemble the marbles."

That statement more made sense in Uriel's head than it did coming out his mouth, but there it is. He shrugs. "Really all I wanted to do was come here and help with the kinks of the machine if I could. I do hope that the sample I just gave you does the trick we are sort of hoping it will. The balance just seems off...but then I could likely be completely wrong. So if it helps, fine. If not, I'm sorry to have intruded and imposed myself."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Raphael looks to Uriel, "If you weren't who you were, this would be where I'd be asking if you ever wondered what would happen if Lucifer and Michael actually got along."

Raphael looks over to Sinister, "It seems that the initial purpose for coming here is close to being settled. Which leads to another question."

Raphael glances around for a clock, "By any chance do you get the Hallmark Channel here?"

Sinister has posed:
"I am sure due dilligence, a whole lot of luck and ... my word that is a disturbing question to pose. If they had got along..." Blink, blinkblink. Wait, what? Maybe some of the nature of Lucifer's trains of thought have primed the doctor well enough for that. "In otherwords, the House always Wins, in those sorts of scenarios. Best to fold the cards before you're tempted."

And the question from Raphael. "Erm. No. But I could?"

Pause, beat. "And thank you. Both of you. It is nice to consider that some of you are checking in and hoping to see how the story ends."

Lucifer has posed:
"Poor Luci is going to wake up, sense our presence briefly in the apartment, and then wonder just where we are and what we're doing. The fact that Nathaniel is missing might worry him a bit more. I'm sure they get that channel in the apartment... cushier seating arragements as well." Uriel says this and then chuckles. "You always were a sucker for movies that have happy, sappy endings..."

Even if the world won't be such a happy ending in the long run

But despite all this, he looks to Nathaniel and nods. "Of course. Some people may claim that you've just started all the events that will lead to the immienent destruction of Earth. I will tell you this. You haven't. Well. You have, sort of, but not in the inevitable demise that people will sell it for. What you're doing is good...but that's all I can say." A smirk. "So, shall we go back to the apartment?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"If you could, that would be wonderful. It's getting to be THAT season again." Raphael replies, giving Sinister the warmest smile possible. "And yes, it is a guilty pleasure." Raphael admits to Uriel's assessment. "There's an added amusement when it's blatantly obvious they filmed the movie in the middle of summer." His smile widens, "Now imagine Luci's reaction if he woke up and just saw us watching Hallmark movies and having popcorn." As for Uriel's question, Raphael nods.

Sinister has posed:
"Very well, returning and letting you view to your heart's content whilst I go and distract Lucifer, sounds like a plan for the rest of the evening. Shall we?" With a click of the fingers, the ring materializes above them in the black podlit dome of the ceiling.

And if anyone were to walk in on the couch this evening, not one person would believe it.