Reroll

That's annoying.

Okay, so… the sensors that let us map an entire star system fairly easily (as in, locate and identify all the planets, dwarf planets, and major asteroids in like a week, with enough detail for the Computers to figure out their mass, gravity, basic makeup, and atmospheric composition… in another week or two)... can't see the length of a football field inside an atmosphere.

Still… when you're invisible, that's enough, especially as shipboard sensors can kind of see through walls… if the science officer is skilled.   I'm the only one aboard that natively has the right skills (and at that, only thanks to Pilot's Savvy), so I'm the one scanning the buildings that might be it, specifically looking for “crew information” - the building that has something other than humans is our target.

Which turns out to be the fourth of our candidate locations. The building is unusual; it looks like a gym in a ten acre parking lot that simply went out of business… and that may very well have been what it was at one time.  But underneath the crumbling concrete walls are six inch thick steel plates layered together. The windows are similar: Layered transparent aluminum. There's a seemingly empty reception area for anyone looking in the front door… but there's quite the array of security hardware (and armed guards) in the NEXT room.  And underground… well. This place has all the markings of a supervillain's lair… the only missing ‘big ticket’ item is the active volcano.

The plan is straightforward: We “park” the ship above the building, I head down, find the mermaid, check her for trackers, dispose of them, and bring her back up.  We prepare two of the spare quarters’ tubs: One with fresh water, one with salt… because we have no idea what she needs.

Now, I can't really Warp blind… well, I can, because I have some immediately flexible talents, but I don't like using those, as they're a limited resource (per day, but still).  So I let go of my animal companion, Warp down to the roof of the building, and start looking. Sadly, X-Ray Vision doesn't help here: The walls aren't leaded, but the metal is far too thick for me to see through.

Incorporeality works fine, though.

I bypass the security… Guardians, of course… I didn't see vans outside, though… hmm… okay, there's faded maps on the walls, so this was, at one point, an actual gym, which makes finding the pool easy.  

When I get there, there's two Guardians holding her up out of the pool while another attaches big clear cups to her chest, hooked to tubes that go to… an industrial dairy machine?

Hmm. She's held between two Guardians… I can't blow them up without hurting her… that's annoying. Well, they don't seem like they're killing her… and she's not struggling… so this is “old hat.” And while not great… it shouldn't kill her, while interrupting might.

So I wait while they pump her… they get about a gallon of milk, then inject her with a big old needle, and toss her back in the pool.  She goes back to doing lazy circles while they wheel out the equipment, and leave her alone. I suppose she is rather effectively imprisoned.

“Also watched,” my Perception ‘Al’ informs me, “there's a lot of cameras in here.”

I quietly nod, and check for magic… huh, Abjuration everywhere. Well… I knew they had some access.  Big question is “what's it do?”

And I don't have trapfinding. Hmm… I do have minionomancy, though.

I look for a section of the facility NOT directly observed, and find they didn't put cameras in the showers. That'll do: One expenditure of some shadow points later, and I have a trap expert taking a look.

“So what is it?” I whisper to the shadow creature.

“Anti-teleporation wards... rather nasty ones, too.”

“Can you disarm them?”

“Effectively not. I can short out the spell… but it is generated by an item hidden elsewhere; the wards would return in seconds unless we take THAT down.”

Great… same goes for dispelling, I imagine.  Okay, new plan, “In that case, stand ready to disable it.  When I scream ‘now’, I'd like you to break it, and scream back to let me know when you've managed it.” I figure I'll ready an action to zip her out when it's safe, then follow.

“Certainly,” the shadow replies, “good luck…” odd that an illusion believes in luck… whatever.

Invisible and incorporeal, I fly through the air and water to where the mermaid swims, and whisper in her ear, “So… it's a little risky, but I think I can get you out of here.”

She only briefly reacts, and keeps swimming as she whispers back, “How risky are we talking?”

“So… I have someone set to kill the anti-teleporation wards, but they'll come back up very quickly, and I'm reasonably sure they'll notice. I can give you temporary wings,” Create Reality has some fun options, “And Warp you outside through the window… hopefully before the wards come back up.  I'll then follow, and lead you to my friends.  We can then release you… well, ocean or lake, as you choose.  We have two tubs waiting, one salt, one fresh, to hold you temporarily.”

“And what'll this cost me?” She's apparently not very trusting.

Can't say as I blame her, “Well… long term, I'm trying to get the idiots holding you to only go after malicious supernatural creatures…” I would say ‘dangerous’, but I am absolutely that, “…so they'll stop hunting me.  Support in that endeavor is certainly welcome, but… well…” I shrug.  Okay… I'm bad at this.

She swims thoughtfully, “That works… and yeah, I can give support… of a sort,” she giggles, “Which I can explain once we're out of here.”

I nod, not that she can see, “Okay… things will happen pretty quickly, and the wings to keep you from falling will tip them off that something is up.  You ready?”

She nods, and I go.

First up is, of course, the wings: Create Reality has the “Glamer” option, which lets me give her Illusory limbs with real substance: In this case, wings for flying.  They look nice… I went with a dragon scale motif to match her tail; a nice shimmery shade of purple.  

Of course, I shout, “Now!” after I do, and ready myself for the Warp when…

“Done!” my shadow shouts back, and I cast my next spell, sending the water woman off through the window.

As expected, a rather lot of alarms sound, and my shadow shouts, “And it's back,” as several Guardians start pouring into the room.

Lucky for me, I don't care.  I lob a grenade at them (spending the shadow point to make it quickly) and move as it explodes, taking down the first wave of Guardians… or so it seems, until I watch their torn flesh knit itself back together as they draw and fire on my position.

Or rather, the position I just vacated.  Okay, so they can't actually see me.  That's good, at least… but they made the Guardians grow back? That's not great.  They… probably have the same vulnerability, though… hmm… for now… I rush out the wall, and fly up to the flying mermaid… who's doing loop-de-loops.

“Ready?” I whisper at her.

“Where's your ship?” She seems confused.

“Invisible; go up too high, and you'll bonk your head on it,” I roll my eyes, not that she can see, “warping….”

I touch her shoulder, send her to the ship's hold, then go myself.

Once there, I summon my armor, and use the comm, “Home please.”

“Certainly,” the shipboard VI begins the trip, “ETA twenty minutes.”

I look at the mermaid, “I never did ask if you wanted salt or fresh water?”

She shrugs, “They used salt in the pool.”

I consider, “You've never been ‘wild’?”

She shakes her head as I lead her to the quarters with salt water in the bath, “No… I was a cabbie until about a month ago,” he looks down at himself, “I can't exactly go back to my wife like this.”

I consider, “So you're first gen too, then… I'd ask your story, but I imagine the others will want to know too, so I'm going to hold off on that to avoid repetition until the others are here.”

“Thanks… it's good to be out of that madhouse.”

I shrug, “Well… I can't currently return you to who you were… what's your name?”

“Joe.  Yours?”  Ah… he's swapped too.

I chuckle, “Call me Kenny; Kenna in my social form in public. I can't actually use my real name anymore… side effect of how we got our power.”

“Yeah… you mentioned friends…” Joe is flying along next to me as we walk the length of the ship, “I suppose I should thank them too.  Ah… what exactly is this place?”

“A starship… or a manifestation of the power my friends and I have. Take your pick.”

“What, like the Enterprise?”

“Closer to the Serenity, although in better shape, and cloaked.”

“Defiant, maybe?”

“We're not that well armed….”

We round the corner to crew quarters with the saltwater tub, and I find Betty and Ed beat me there, with the pets.

“Quite the crew…” Joe nods.

I introduce folks, and Ed starts with the questions, “So, what's your story?”

Joe takes a breath….