Planning

[time_dancer]

Val's room is something like a mix between a New York warehouse studio and a high tech lab. Instruments glow and beep along one wall and the windows (or are the flat screen monitors?) show the New York skyline in the early evening of Autumn. Over the center wall is a large portrait of the Fantastic Four family; Reed, Susan, Johnny, Ben, Alicia, Val, Franklin, and Jennifer figure prominately. On an opposite wall another family portrait shows a happy Susan with a seemingly equally happy Victor von Doom (in armor), an older Franklin (teen aged) and Val. Over by the lab area there is a dry erase board with the words "Save Johnny" written very large.

There is a round table in the center of the room with enough chairs for everyone. Food and drink (digital variations are present) are on a side table next to plates and cups. Floating above the table is a 3D holo-map showing a flat asteroid about the size of a couple football stadiums with several smaller asteroids floating about it. There is a red light blinking just off the center of the large rock island.

"So here's the landscape. Aunt Jen, you've had more experience with the Negative Zone. Would you mind explaining its nature for us?" Val asks once everyone is settled. All traces of her usual cheery self are gone, today Val is all business. At the head of the table there are also a few floating screens showing several different species of the insectoids and some stills of the character of N-Zone space.

Comments

[slayer_fray]

Mel has her mouth full of food.

What? It's free. And somehow even after all these at Milliways, she's still constantly hungry.

She glances over her shoulder at the weapons talk, which means she's peering past the giant red blade on her back to do so.

"They're still stabbable, right?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I don't see why not," Ellen says. "I mean, they look armored, but... so are mirelurks, and I can still get a Shishkebab blade into them if I really try."

[time_dancer]

"They are stabbable though, like Ellen said, they are armored. Plus when you to rupture their exoskeleton, they make a big mess," Val pips up having listened to the exchange. "Hey, Ellen, if you like I could take a look at those energy weapons and see if I can't come up with new energy packs for them."

She turns to Will then. "If you prefer a bow, I can make specialized arrows. In fact I already have several designs I made for a friend. I'm sure Aunt Jen will agree, we both know an archer who does very well in these type of situations."

Next she turns to Enzo, "If you are more comfortable with non-lethal I would suggest using the highest setting as these guys are tough. In fact if any of you wish to use non-lethal means I won't stop you but I feel I must caution you that they will not use non-lethal means."

"Oh and Janet, I'm pretty sure your blasts should work but maybe not as well as you'd think. How well did they effect your world's Hulk?"

[unbreakableben]

Ben, human and standing at parade rest, has been quiet for all of this as the landscape is bringing up some pretty bad memories. Still he is a solder now and faces those feelings and moves past them.

"One thing that might be worth mentioning, the gravity there is wacko. It's not like space in our realities, it's almost like being underwater or on Mars or Earth's moon if you have any experience there. That means watch out for kickback on all your actions," he points out assuming not everyone has been trained for low or zero gravity environments. "How come these people don't have breathing apparatuses?"

[time_dancer]

"Oh right, good point Uncle...err, Ben," Val replies. "There is a breathable atmosphere there. It's going to seem like very stale air and taste terrible but it won't hurt us. I've also made some polarity shields which will protect us from the negatively charged universe. If you see a red light blinking flag me over, quick." She holds up a little box like device that seems like it would fit on a belt nicely.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"That would be fantastic," Ellen says. "About the alien guns, I mean. Um... I've never been in low gravity before. The one spaceship I've ever been on had real gravity. The air shouldn't be a problem, my power armor has filters..."

[slayer_fray]

Mel looks up again, wide and shin eyed about the proepct of working in low-gee.

"Rocketship. Can't wait to give it a try."

Because she kicks with a forde that's going to cause some kick-back, and a fighter like Mel is could use that.

[a1enzo]

"I... can kill if I have to," Enzo says uncomfortably. He's never deleted anything sentient before. But there are viruses in his future. He'll have to sooner or later. "But I've never felt any recoil from the stunner. That's something."

[will_scarlett]

"Shouldna 'ave too much trouble with me bow though might be strange at first. What sorts o'arrows do ye 'ave?"

He's always preferred living so if someone tries to hurt him, he responds with the same sort of force.

[time_dancer]

"Explosive tips," Val replies counting off with her fingers, " anti-gravity (they'll make whatever you hit fall up), adhesive (which bursts to make a man-sized blog of goo that's pretty hard to get out of), light burst, nets, and I am sure I'm forgetting some...oh sleep gas, acid, freezing."

[will_scarlett]

"Brilliant, then I'll be just fine,"

Hopefully he won't have to use all of them but options are nice.

[itwasjustified]

Raylan glances around the room.

He's country miles out of his depth, here, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to this.

"Would Kevlar or armor do us any good in this environment?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I don't know what that first word means," Ellen says, "but, um- I have a set or two of pre-War combat armor at home. I think police and infantry soldiers used to use it. One of them ought to fit you, as long as we're getting you one of the guns."

It's beginning to dawn on Ellen that people who aren't intimately familiar with her world might be getting a bad impression. She's not really sure how to counteract it at this point, though.

[a1enzo]

"I've got built-in," Enzo notes, patting his uniform.

[itwasjustified]

"Bullet-proof material," Raylan says, by way of explanation. "Us law-enforcement types wear vests out in the field, when we need to, but I'll bet what you've got is a little more durable."

Glancing over, he tips his head toward Enzo, and takes in the uniform.

Dry: "Wish I could say the same."

[will_scarlett]

"Aye, I'd be glad o'somethin' like that 'specially if its na too 'eavy,"

Will's seen kevlar and the like in Milliways and he'll use whatever he can to stay alive while helping his friends.

[slayer_fray]

Mel, in her loose pants and tiny midriff-exposing halterneck and, looks around at them thoughtfully.

"My sister's Law," she says after a while. "It ain't armor like Ellen'll pull up, but I bet I can grab some vests for folk. Lightweight."

[time_dancer]

Val looks between Ellen and Mel before saying, "You guys are lifesavers. I was worried I was going to have make some armor and guns. The forge is good but making high tech stuff is still kind of tricky."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I only have the one power suit," Ellen warns, "and that's sized to fit me. Power armor has to be a very close fit or it'll break your arms at the joints. But the suit of armor I got from Reilly's Rangers will fit an adult man, and I think I still have a suit from Talon Company, although it's not as sturdy as the Ranger armor. I'm a little short on helmets, too. There's not many of them to go around back home." Ruefully, she indicates her facial scars and the nicks in one ear. "Which is why I have these. Fair warning."

[itwasjustified]

With a nod, Raylan glances from Ellen to Will.

"I'm happy to take a chance on Ellen's extra suit fitting me, but if you want first dibs, then by all means."

[will_scarlett]

"Nay, I'd feel odd in it. If ye can get one o'yer vests that'd suit me fine. Most armor I'm used to wearin' is some leather. Wouldna know 'ow to draw me bow in somethin' like plate."

[time_dancer]

"Actually," Val says thinking out loud, "with the gravity being what it is, power armor is probably a bad idea. Unless you were used to it I should say."

[itwasjustified]

"Between the two of us," Raylan says to Will, with a tip of his head in Mel's direction, "I'll bet we can work out Kevlar for you."

His attention slides to Val, and he chuckles, low and wry.

"Probably a good idea if I steer clear of anything souped-up, then."

To Ellen: "Can I trouble you with a request for something conventional that might fit?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh sure," Ellen says. "Green okay? The stuff that Reilly's Rangers gave me's more likely to fit you. It used to belong to their quartermaster, and he was about your size."

[itwasjustified]

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind if it was tie-dye, as long as it gets the job done."

If the armor fits and offers a measure of protection in the field, Raylan figures he's won the lottery.