4331/Symbiotic Investigation Pt 2

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Symbiotic Investigation Pt 2
Date of Scene: 27 April 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Crusader, Nuala Duvall




Crusader has posed:
It was mid-afternoon this tme around. And the usually quiet Flatbush distract ended up with some noise this day, as police where enganging in a car chase, chasing down a would be robber. However this is cut short with the intervention of some invisible entity. The smell of rubber on asphelt is smelt as the car attempted to move but was going no where as if held by some force. The police cars catch up and get out of their cars guns out, as the cars wheels stop moving.
    The man hops out of the car about to run before being lifted by the back of his shirt. He flails in the air a bit, as the police look on in some confusion. Slowly Crusader materalizes still holding the man and brings him over "One believes you were trying to catch this one" his baritone comes out. The police were seeming to recognize him arn't to startled as they begin hand-cuffing the criminal.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala's suspicions about Crusader haven't ebbed as much as One might like. Her nature is to be cautious. She has to stop problems before they start. Being reactionary in her world means that millions may die. When Crusader became active, she did as well, tracking from the stealthed ship, she doesn't engage the fight. It isn't her fight. She does, however, sit with her coffee, sipping it carefully as she watches the scene unfold, unknown by the masses that she hovers only twenty feet above in her stealthed ship.

Crusader has posed:
Dureing the course of Nuala research, if she done any, she would have found out that Crusader seemed to have only appeared one year ago...and that to date no one can seems to know the full extent of his abilities, as he seemingly keeps popping up with new ones. The caped Juggernaut has done everything from being seen handling minor crimes like these, all the way up to the Big World Threats like taking on DarkSied with other Heros.
    Meanwhile....Vorn he apparent other personlity is a semi-known underground Fighter and isn't afraid to break a few bones here and there, a seemingly stark contrast to his heroic persona....though even Vorn (much more rarely) been seen engaging in 'heroic' activities.

    Back down below, Crusader sets the criminal down as the Guards read him their Rights. As one goes to thank Crusader he says "It is no worries. Be safe Officer" before he seem to dissappear once again, his unique signature of course trackable by Nuala. Within a few moments he appears up higher on a roof-top...but he oddly....seemed still and his signature was now fluctuating.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    The ship follows, and Nuala narrows her eyes at the fluctuating signature. "Timmy, see if you can find out what's happening. There shouldn't be a fluctuation like that." As she watches the screen's image that is created to represent his unseen form, she pulls off her silver band, unblocking her telepathy. "What are you doing?" she asks herself aloud, wincing as she hears more than she would like to from those in range. She focuses, trying to pick out Crusader's thoughts from the others.

Crusader has posed:
The ship would pick up what might be close to sub-space long range tranmissions. They were not comming from Crusader...but seem to be broadcast to him. Or at least something is trying too...or perhaps succedding? It hard to say really.
    As Nuala focuses on Crusader, she would indeed pick up his thoughts. They were of course 'alien' as he evisioned a world were everyone was assimilated...and yet had no desire to force it upon people. His mind was a gallery of shattered memories, of various lives that make up him....or should have. But whatever process was used in his creation may have gone wrong. The only truely unbroken memories seemed to be of a blurred out human...as if that human conciouness was being buried, suprpressed....infact the way his thought patterns were changing it almost seems like someone was trying to 'program' Crusader - the changing thought patterns coinciding with the fluctuations.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    The noise of other thoughts mixed with the complexity of what hits her from Crusader makes it hard for Nuala to be able to understand what is going on in the thoughts. "It's so... strange. His mind is so busy," she tells Timmy, closing her eyes and trying to make out the convolution that is hitting her. She rubs her temple, leaning forward. Timmy indicates the subspace signal. "What? Who is trying to talk to him? Can you translate the signal?" she asks.

Crusader has posed:
Timmy respond with "If such is the case, you may have to consider that he might be closer to an Uncorrupted Klyntar" a hive minded symbiotic entity that unfortantly gets a bad reputation due to 'corrupted' members scavenging the cosmos. "Unknown person or persons. Attempting translation now" a sound comes on that first sounds like noise before it begins to form understandable words - "Calm your mind. It is alright. We will take over for now. There is much to learn....and changes to make. Thats right..just sleep for now" says the voice. Crusader in the meanwhile was getting smaller, taking on a more human appearance.
    Timmy than says "In addition to perhaps taking over this entity, it appears data is also being transmited. Should I begin broadcast blocking protocols?"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala sharpens. "Yes, quarantine the data for examination. Begin a subspace trace, see if we can find out where it is coming from." Nuala stands up, "If he is uncorrupted, then what is trying to control him right now? Klyntar have proven to be very susceptible to foul influences. Somebody wants him to do something," she comments. She begins to bring up the data on the screen once it is quarantined for a diagnostic to be run.

Crusader has posed:
    "Right away" Timmy says. Sensors are fired off as a subspace trace is sent. A the time time a portion of data is being quarianted. "Considering his unique techno-biology, it is possible than a phylanx or klyntar hive mind is trying to bring it into their Collective. Or perhaps there are more of this kind that are trying to reconnect with it" Timmy gives as possible hypothosis "There is also a chance we could be dealing with it's creator...or simply a rogue entity."
    The systems seem to hum as if having difficulty, but soon enough Data is brought on board. The data consisted of memories and experinces Crusader...among other bits of infomation:

Orignal Crusader Count: Classified
New Crusader Members: 1
Rate of Assimilation: 0.00273973
Behaviors and Protocal: Modified, but Intact
Updated Needed: Potential
Installing Temp. Systems .....

Timmy says "Trace complete - the Signal is Originating from the Andrameda Galaxy, known to house both Klyntar, Phylanx and has had occasional Brood problems"

With that Crusader takes on a human looking from. Much like his Orc form, he was still a massive being in terms of muscle mass. He appeared with an expensive buisness suit, and a large but well groomed black beard and mustache with slicked back hair.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "Brood," Nuala echoes, a shiver running down her spine. "I know what it could be, Timmy," she says, "I need to know what it actually is. She paces the cockpit, watching Crusader's alteration. "Update needed. Is it possible that he is an artificial life form?" she asks Timmy. "Scan for silicon-based biomarkers. He may be organic, but if someone is trying to install a data file, there may be something inorganic at work here."
    She accesses the file regarding the protocol reports, and calls her boss. Her father. "Dad?" she asks, but he does not appear. "Message send: Dro'finn: I am sending a file to you, we may need to decrypt it. We have a potential Phylanx presence on earth. Can we see if the information lab can determine more about it. This is a Behavior and Protocol report regarding the contact, calls himself Crusader. Assumed male. Apparently is a one of a kind according to current information."

Crusader has posed:
"Consdering all current evidence, from dispayed behavior, unique signature and..." a moment as Timmy scans for the markers "He has both silicon and carbon based biomarkers, indicating he is both an organic and inorganic life form. Possibility of being an artificial life form i 67.4."
    The messege is sent without a hitch. A moment latter "...Nuala. It is looking right at us"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala leans on the dashboard, looking over the information. She glances up as Timmy announces that Crusader is looking at them. "No," she says in disbelief. She glances down at the stealth setting to ensure that it is still enacted. She moves to the flight stick, sitting down and laterally, "He's just looking in our direction." She hopes. "See if you can access whatever that data was being uploaded to. Search for memory alterations. He said he's been here for over sixty terran years, but there's no record of him prior to a year ago." It may be too much for her system to be able to distinguish, but it's worth a shot.

Crusader has posed:
Timmy says "Right away!" and begins trying to access whatever the Data was uploaded too Crusader. Meanwhile Crusader never seems to turn take his eyes off their direction. If the ship move...his head moves to follow it, simply stareing.
    "Consideraing his shapeshifting capabilities, it may have been waiting untill terran tech was advanced enough for his use before becomming active" a few moments "Access succ....succ...succ. Error, error, error. Counter-hack is being attempted."

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "Disconnect all engaged protocols," Nuala orders Timmy, her tone flat and direct. "Terran technology is far too primitive to attempt a hack of any sort on our system," she mutters to herself. "What are you doing, Vorn?" She sits down formally in the pilot's seat and pushes forward on the flight stick, and moves over the roof of the building, just in case of a system failure. She flips open a panel on the wall with a tiny pinprick beneath it.
    She places her thumb over it, waiting to see if the DNA lockdown will be required to stop the hack. It takes time to enable all the systems if she has to do that, and the ship becomes very manually operated until they are re-enabled by her one specifically.

Crusader has posed:
"Stopping engagement protocols." Timmy replies back. A few seconds go by..."Error resolved. Systems are returning to normal. Analysis indicate phalynx type counter-hack, non-automated system. Aka. Defensive Cyberpathy." the system quickly updates it self incase of further attemps. "I did manage to get some intell. If the readings are correct, under normal circumstances Vorn should not have been able to enter systems. The capacity to do so, indicates whatever system and data were 'installed' may have upgraded his capabilitied. Procede with caution"

Crusader head follows the ship, his eyes narrow but he never seems made. Infact he seems stiff....cold, calculating. Much like a normal phylanx...and yet was still different. Within a few moments he seems to dissolve into a dozen or so lights. "Teleportion mechanics were acitvated. Point of arrival is by Terran maps, Nashua county. A 'country' area several miles south of us"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "You cheeky bastard," Nuala stares down her target, even though she knows he can't see her individually. "So /he/ tried to hack the ship?" she asks Timmy. She had expected it to be a subspace hack, not a local one. "Scan teleportation zone, what non-terran based life forms are in that region. Sounds like we have an unauthorized arrival. This planet seems to get a lot of that." She walks back to the armory, and steps into her shell suit. "Cross reference known phylanx and klyntar shared vulnerabilities. They likely are going to try to protect their pet from such things, but genetics can only be altered so far. Something is different, whoever was trying to access him seemed to be able to break through the block, or else finished what they were trying to do before we were able to enact it."
     The suit closes around her, and with a heavier step, she sets back out of the armor rack.

Crusader has posed:
"Yes. However, attempt at access ceased the moment I disengaged" Timmy says. "Scanning now. I have takent he liberty of inporting the coordinates of the location as well." An overhead map comes up showing what seems to be a large field with a barn and farmhouse on it. "It appears we have two potential non-terran life forms..mabey three, if we count the 'update' that had occured."
    Timmy than bring up a wider world map showing various dots all over the planet and explains "Analysis shows that all these energy readings show the same two exact markers for teleportation. We are either dealing with a mobile destination, or their are multiple bases on this planet. More data needed. What is certain is this Crusader appears to be able to activate this teleportion at his discretion."

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "Hack a satellite, send reason report to Dro'Finn. Keep track of the target through human satellite. If that is what I think it is, we may need a lot of backup." She scans and moves the display between the teleportations. "I should have killed him when I first engaged him." She moves back to the display, "What came through the teleport? Can we get a reading? Take us up out of sonic disruption range, then set max speed course for the new arrivals. Update me on what the life forms are as soon as we get a solid confirmation."

Crusader has posed:
"Message has been compiled and being sent over subspace as we speak now" Timmy responds back. "We do advise perhaps waiting for your father report on the behavior and protocol analysis before we go to war"
    A stream comes up "And what came through the Teleport...was well Crusader." replays the image of Crusader seeming to dissolve in light. "Wait...hold on..." it does a deeper scan "Another subspace transmission is being attempted towards the one named Crusader, stronger than before. Shall I disrupt this one as well? Or attempt to get a more exact trace on where it comming from?"
    Timmy none the less brings the ship up and zooms towards the location as requested, max speed "As another update. Klyntar and Phylanx do not seem to have any shared weaknesses that are known and documented. But the Klyntar do have several we might be able to utilize." a few moments pass "Appraching area....signatures indicate Crusader signature is present. A secondary signature indicates that a secondary member of his species may be present. However the readings are...unusual."

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala watches the fading image of Crusader, and narrows her eyes. "Is the first signal still detectable, I'm showing him to have disappeared at the original location. He may have teleported to the new location." She grits her teeth. "Sneaky. What is unusual?" she asks. "See if you can get a specific lock on the location, don't block it all together, send radio interference to prevent accurate data transfer, I want them to keep trying. Don't get too close, if it is Crusader who attempted the hack, let's see if we can find his range. Put us at two hundred meters."

Crusader has posed:
Timmy responds with "The signal has faded, but there is a strong possibility he is in his new location. One moment..." a new display pops up seeming to be an analysis of Crusaders signature and another nearly identical signature. "It reading indicates that despite being of the same 'species' it is not emiting any indication of being intelligent."
    Radio waves are indeed sent to run interference. "Interference and tracing has begin. Closing the distance to two hundred meters." no hack attempt is made yet. "Interference is slowing trace potential, but it seems they are not backing down yet"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "How close are we on that trace?" She asks, zooming in the camera on the signal location. "At least he's not in the city anymore," she comments. "Once we have the origin confirmed, block the signal again." She frowns, reading the data. "What are they trying to do with him?" she asks aloud, possibly interpreted as a question to Timmy, but more of a rhetorical curiosity.

Crusader has posed:
"Aproximately five minutes" Timmy informs him. "If it is benovolent klyntar, possibly hoping to establish a presence on earth, the same if it is corrupted or phalynx." A pause "....signal lost. I repeat signal lost. They have stopped transmitting. Can not continue trace. Uploading last sector detected" coordinate come up showing that the signal was comming from some of the less inhabited region of the andramedo sector...the same sector as Klyntar (the planet) for that matter.
    The camera shows the barn, wooden, old fashion. It looks like no one has lived there for years, and there were no other homes within miles. No further activity can be detected though.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala's fingers dance across the controls, "Where'd he go?" she asks. "Did he teleport out again?" Continue searching, I'm going to go check, perhaps he has entered something that shields him from the sensors." She moves to the back of the ship, lowering the ramp.

Crusader has posed:
"No such teleport signal was detected. The location suggests the large building known as a Barn by terran, to be the most likely place he has gone. I am still detecting two signatures, but can no longer pinpoint them. Be careful" and with that Nuala was free to explore as she pleased

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala hops out the back of the ship, landing with a thud in the high grass in the field nearby. She closes her helmet, and her internal display opens seamlessly before her, scanning the area. She runs forward, closing the couple hundred meter gap as quickly as she can manage, the nine foot tall figure moving effortlessly across the terrain, closing in on the barn.

Crusader has posed:
As Nuala closes the gap quickly. The barn door swing open. On the inside of the barn one can see a large floating sphere, with a polished chrome exteorior that mirrors the world. But the being stands up? It the was the formal looking figure that had formed after the first subspace transmission. ANd it looks right at Nuala....or at least the Shell containing her. He says simply and with emotion "You are tresspassing on private property. Leave now"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala doesn't waver. "I come lawfully on behalf of Nova Corps," she says, keeping the mental barrier deactivated for the moment so that she can hear whatever is on the surface of his mind. "You were receiving subspace transmissions from the Andromeda sector, a region known for hostile life forms. I gave you the benefit of the doubt at first meeting, but I will not be played the fool, and you tried to hack my ship, tampering with government property." She looks down at The formal looking entity before her. "You have a very short period of time to explain...this," she says, indicating to the sphere. "I think you should make good use of it."

Crusader has posed:
The man looks up at Nuala, and says curtly "Your ship tried to hack me. It was self defense and a warning to not to try again. All being of sufficient sapiance are allowed to defend themselves physically and mentally. As a techno-organic being, this includes attempts at hacking my person, regardless of govermental property or measures" he says concisely and without hesitation. "The sphere of which you indicate is a spaceship." he scans Nuala for a momen as if searching memories. His mind was going quick and fast, analyzing the situation, intergaltic laws, possible ways of taking Nuala down if it came to that, etc. But none of his thoughts were nessarily hostile - but defensive...for now.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "I didn't hack you, I tapped you," Nuala answers dryly. "I have reason to believe that you actually were being hacked, though. It would be good to have an understanding of that. Can you explain?" Then again, she figures that he may in fact not be able to explain, depending on how much he was hacked.

Crusader has posed:
"When done without permission, it is a hack" he answer back just as dryly, and with clear annoyance. Anger even, seeing it as a classic 'goverment coverup' deal. He had no time for such nonsense. "And no, I was not being hacked. I merely took control of this unit, to gather data for further study, as well as make adjustments. Though" he rubs his beard "This unit is being particularly...lively. Promising, to say the least." and it might be at this moment that Nuala may recognize that she was no longer dealing with Crusader exactly.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "I do not interest myself with political stances on words," she answers. Really, she doesn't speak English well enough to try. "You have enacted an illegal unit on this planet in violation of the Terran Neutrality Act. Identify yourself."

Crusader has posed:
    "Than let me make this clear in your own language" The man says. He switches tongues, either through universal translator or whatever entity is controlling Crusader, he is able to speak Xandarian fluently <<"Do not try to hack this unit mind again">> he let that sit for a moment
    "I am Dr.Xanatos. I had a hand in creating this new species, and my own sector has not and does not recognize the Terran Neutrality Act."

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "Then perhaps you will recognize this," Nuala answers in a much more comfortable Xandarian. She is losing her patience. Her wrist blasters activate their sleek recession jutting out and glowing. "We aren't in your sector. We are in mine." Only to Timmy she says, "Block that signal now."

Crusader has posed:
Timmy immediatly blocks the signal...or at least tries too. The man stagger back and grabs his head "No, I have not finished collecting the data..." he looks to Nuala, and now he seemed PISSED. "You have made yourself a clear problem that must be rectified..."
    Timmy privately reports "Nuala...this Dr.Xanatos is somehow still transmitting. Data is not being transferred persay...but a clear signal is being kept open. I will continue to try different block peremeters"
    Dr.Xanatos as it were stands upright "You wish to pit your technology agaist MY creation? Than so be it, this will be an excellent field test" now he was game for battle.

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala doesn't wait for the declaration to finish before she engages, the full force of her shell suit slamming forward, open palms forward to knock the smaller figure back, followed by piercingly hot blasts of plasma that streak forward to follow the shove. "Damn, I told them we needed EMPs. Timmy, see if you can configure the one of the torpedoes to go into an electric feedback.If we can't stop the transmission, then maybe we can stop the unit from being able to communicate." Or, she could always just blast the crap out of it, that's her usual first choice. Still, she talked to Vorn. He was a person, not a parasite...

Crusader has posed:
Dr.Xanatos is shoved backwards, but braces himself stopping mid-shove. Hot plasma strike him dead in the chest, seeming to melt him partially. A grin appears as the melted portion knits back togeather. He flexes "Mmm, such a powerful body" and with that he runs forward with surprising speed.
    Evidently, not a stranger to fighting, he fakes a left before punching right. If his hit lands, Nuala would quickly discover a single punch to send a car flying with the force behind it!

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala assesses the partial success of the plasma blasts. It looks like they hurt, but not enough. She tucks an arm up to block the punch, letting it strike the shoulder of the suit. She did not expect it to be so forceful though, and she is sent flying several feet, sprawling across the grass before rolling back into a crouching position. Her suit can take a pretty good beating. She won't say aloud that inside the suit, she was jostled a bit. "Yeah, too bad it won't last." She lets a rapid succession of several more blasts, trying to overwhelm with sheer number of plasma bolts in an attempt to melt or at least put the small titan on the defense.

Crusader has posed:
Dr.Xanatos didn't avoid the bolts. He let them hit them, seeming to have either little regard for the body safty or wishing to truely test out its capabilities. It might even be that Xanatos isn't even feeling the strikes himself.
    "Well see about that...once your added" Soon the 'suit' he appear with turns brilliant white...looking as if it had become plasma. The plasma bolts are even less effective than before as they are at least partially absorb by his own plasma. Several dozen tendrills form on his back and lashes out at Nuala - each one looking as it coated in plasma!
    Timmy chimes in "The lectric feedback is almost ready. But by my calculations, this will be an extreamly powerful one to take any effect. One suggest you prepare for an emergency shut down of yer suit to protect it from damage"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    "Got it," Nuala gasps in response to Timmyas she dives forward inside the plasmic tentacles, narrowly evading them. "That's a nice trick," she admits, "Let me show you another one of mine." Her wrist blasters recede and repop, and from their spouts a fiercely cold icy spread releases, freezing instantly the air it strikes with temperatures of -50 degrees centigrate.

Crusader has posed:
Typically spreaking, as Crusader can survive in the vaccuum of space and the deep oceans - cold wasn't an issue. Ice on the other hand? Thats a different story. Spring has brought with it the rainy season, humidty and water droplets.
    At first it would seem Nuala attack was doing nothing little. Slowing him down at most. But the as ice forms on him and builds more and more, his movements became stiffer and stiffer. A thick layer of ice soon encased Dr.Xanatos. But it wouldn't hold him forever, his own plasma coating was heating up the ice tomb, steam rising, but otherwise immoblizing him.
    "Preparing to launch electric feedback. You have 10 seconds to shut down any units that need protecting"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala continues to spray the ice for the next few seconds, "Five, four, three," she counds quietly to herself. Then the right hand seems to reform as a bulb which opens, and she fires a concussive blast to knock her foe backward just as nine seconds hits, and hits the emergency shut down on her suit. The purple light douses, and the suit shifts down, "I hope this works..." she braces herself as her suit falls over from the lack of power, landing heavily into the tall grass.

Crusader has posed:
Dr.Xanatos in that time continued to heat up, the ice spray becomming less and less effective. But right as he seemed about to fly into a rage and tackle into her - Nuala stopped her spraying and fell over. And the eletrical feedback hit.
    Dr.Xanatos falls to his knees and unleashes an inhuman scream. Or was it one of the other minds within the body? It hard to say, except that it was his body as much as his mind that screamed, the feedback having a larger effect than one would expect.
    The man slumps over, unconciouse. Much as before, his form again changes. But the form was not Vorn, Crusader or Dr.Xanatos...well perhaps Dr.Xanatos if he was older.
    Timmy chimes, remotely reactivting her suit "Electricfeed back was successfull. It seems whatever protocol they were using was intimately linked with their minds however"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala clenches her teeth, pushing up as the suit reactivates, sitting on her kneeds and then looking at Xanatos. She pulls her blaster up, taking aim. This is the part where she is supposed to finish it. She doesn't, though, just holding her aim. That's protocol, eliminate the threat.
    "Timmy, continue to monitor. Locate and confirm the other signals. Are they likely all spacecraft like the one here?" she asks.

Crusader has posed:
Timmy does a search, a deep scan. "Scanning now" the AI says. As Xanato...or whoever he was now rests, he breaths deeply. And than...there is...snoreing? Was...was the man asleep? After all this?
    "No...well yes. But no. If I am reading the data correctly, all the picked up signatures came from this one ship, leaving a 'footprint' as it where. No other deep-space signals are comming in either"

Nuala Duvall has posed:
    Nuala sighs. "Timmy, prepare the containment room," she says. The A.I. chimes, "Halal Protocol section 4.2b states that we should-"
    "I know what it says, Timmy, just do it." She shakes her head. "What am I doing?" She looks back down at The gray haired man. "Okay big guy, time for you and I to have a heart to heart."