Oceans Away

Participants:

elisabeth2_icon.gif jaiden_icon.gif

Scene Title Oceans Away
Synopsis Or we sure wish we were.
Date Feb 12, 2011

The Border of the Dome


It's a day or so after the fun and merriment inside the dome. It's kind of interesting watching people in a confined space warring over things that are limited - some scattering, others stopping to help, and far, far too many caught in the crossfire, unable to get away thanks to the giant clear dome hovering overhead. Jaiden was there, taking pictures, helping when he could, and now he's at the perimeter of the dome, walking, dragging his fingers alongside. If it had been plexiglass, it would have left streaks, but whatever this is, caused by some evo who amped himself up, doesn't show streaks.

The blonde that he finally got a message to is walking along the dome from the other direction. Elisabeth is wearing full armor sans helmet, which is attached to her belt somewhat awkwardly — but hey, at least she's got the damn thing with her! Her blonde hair is pinned up and she looks very military at the moment in that exoskeleton.

Coming to a stop, she lets him approach her. "Damn good to see you, Jaiden," Elisabeth says softly, relief coloring tired blue eyes.

Jaiden doesn't look half bad. A bit thinner, thanks to reduced rations, but clean. Being able to pull clean water from pretty much any wet source makes showers possible in just about any part of the dome and makes him quite a popular evo with those who know about him. "Hey there, Lizzie." He steps as close to the edge of the dome as he dares, nose nearly pressed against it. "You look good."

Elisabeth offers him a weary smile, reaching up to put a gloved hand on the dome itself just across from him. "Liar," she retorts with some amusement. "But thanks. Does a girl good to hear it. How're you holding up?"

There's a small shrug, almost noncommittal, as he shifts his backpack from one shoulder to the other. "You know me - always trying to keep one step ahead. Been scavenging food and meds as best I can. Taking some to the brick house, stashing the rest in different places to have some back up just in case things go pear shaped and we're in here too long." He lets out a soft sigh, pushing his hat back and looking up along the inside of the dome. "It's not fun in here, let me tell you. Only thing I know is that powers don't work across the dome and anything else, from trains to fire engines, can't get through. Part of me was thinking about focusing a jet of water as hard as I could to see if pressure over time would work.

"Well, we already know that time works. Makes it leak through eventually. Given that it's withstood pressure from other sources, I'd say that further experiments on that front are probably not worth your energy. I have someone with an idea that may work out. I have my doubts, but…." Elisabeth shrugs a little. "We'll see. He's readying a drill to attempt to use it in conjunction with a power to try to negate the frequency of the dome itself." She doesn't sound terribly hopeful, but any chance is worth a shot. "Other than that… I've spoken with Ygraine, too. She's got a lot more intel than you'd think. I'd like you, if you can, to stay close to both her and JJ Jones, the FRONTLINE operative we've got in there."

Her tone has a distinct edge. "I'm leaving the call to those of you on the inside about whether to disperse people or pull them all together in one place for better defensibility. A lot of the Humanis First fuckers are armed, and she thinks there's a second batch of vigilantes on the loose. So be careful in there."

After the bomb…after a lot of things, New York gun control laws were such that getting them was hard, and keeping them legal was harder. Sure, if you had the cash and the means, you could get them, but for most common people? Doesn't work out. Jaiden does have his .45 packed away in his pack, thankfully unfired, with a box of bullets and a spare clip just in case it's needed, but against a mob of Humanis First? He'd rather have a tank.

"I'm taking pictures, Lizzie. Keeping track of the stories in here as best I can. I'm going to get with Ygraine later tonight - she left a message for me to meet her and some other folk. Maybe get some answers. Maybe come up with a few more questions." He pauses for a moment, looking over his shoulder before leaning in. "This was caused by someone evo…who took amp and then caused this. About the center of the dome we found a syringe with the remains of amp in it, and one of the guys we were with could kind of see the past and filled us in on what happened. No face, no name, no nothing…but it was caused by someone with their own special power. Part of me thinks that Humanis did this to put a bigger target on our backs…if they can show what a danger we are, and point to a dome where Lord of the FLies 2011 is taking place as proof….hell, Lizzie, they'll have an army of morons at their back in no time flat.

There's a nod from Elisabeth. "I know, babe," she says quietly. "JJ is the one who saw it?" She smiles a little. "He texted me with it." He's the FRONTLINE guy, remember? "Ygraine and Richard are both pretty much in agreement with the assessment that this may be Humanis First using Evos to help them hunt other Evos. Given the intel that Alia was able to get to me…. yeah. I'm thinking it's a goddamn good possibility."

She sighs heavily. "Alia was being held at Miller Airfield after she checking out that DoEA drone for me? Well, she's escaped. And she's brought the intel with her that Georgia Mayes, fucking cunt that she is, may well be high-level Humanis First. Which sheds a whole lot of new light on Heller's hard-on for chasing down the Ferry, as well. You're going to have to watch yourselves in there." Elisabeth pauses. "Richard's going to try to place Redbird people around the Suresh Center, at least to help shore up defenses there because it's going to be one of the only places with medical and electrical. But it also means it's going to be a target. So I'm of two minds about whether to have a bunch of people holed up in there. When you and the others meet tonight, decide which way you think is safest, and just let me know. I'll go with it and back you from out here as much as I can."

"I've got my phone, Lizzie, and I've got a way to keep it powered, so if you need me, you text or call me. Anything else is pretty much turned off to save on the juice - solar cells don't get too much electricity in 'em through the haze up there." He looks over his shoulder again - wary boy, he is - before turning back to talk to the armored Elisabeth. "I'll send e-mailed reports every evening or so, about what's going on here, about who and where and why and how. Powers in charge, what we're planning and the like. If you hear anything, you let me know so I can get the word out. If you see movement or a push, you tell me because I'll be damned if I'm going to let those humanis first bastards take anyone else out." His voice rises in pitch slightly, almost cracking. He's stressed out. His eyes close, the man slumping against the dome slightly. "I'm tired…" he murmurs. I'm not used to being on point for so long." A chuckle. "I'm not as young as I was." With a small movement, he looks up, a smile appearing for a moment. "Least you're not in here. Have all the makings of a hollywood thriller with the smouldering leads trapped, defending against the world rising against them."

Elisabeth snickers outright, her smile sort of amused but also wry. "What's the name of that guy who fell asleep under the tree for a thousand years? I know Rumplestiltskin isn't right, but anyway — I'm thinking that's you. We've been there for a long time now." She winks at him. "We're working on it, Jaiden. Don't let 'em lose hope, okay? We are working on it. And if JJ can get you more information on it, by all means, have him do it. He's hurt, but he'll pull it together and do what needs doing."

"I know Methuselah was the guy who lived a long time in the bible…" One can almost see the rolodex twirling in Jaiden's head as he ponders exactly who that guy was, snapping. "Rip van Winkle. That was the story. And I'd like to wake up any time now, please. If you need to, you know how to get into the garage. Can you clean out the fridge and water the plants? I'm sure they're starting to wilt a little bit by now. I would ask Delia to do it, but i've not seen her for…gosh, ages." His shoulders sink a little bit. "I'm not losing hope, Lizzie. I'm just under pressure."

There's a pause and Elisabeth says softly, "I'm sorry." Something about the way he says 'gosh, ages,' in that tone of blowing it off tells her pretty much that things have gone south. And she's genuinely sympathetic. Her hand touches the barrier, as if she'd reach through and simply touch him if she could. "I'll try to get by there to clean things out," she promises. "It's a little bit crazed, as you might guess." She bites her lip. "Is there anything I can do for you? Short of the plan that's forming to try to break the dome — cuz I'm all on board with that. Just… anything at all?"

"You don't lose hope on me either, Lizzie. I'm getting out of here, and I'm getting everyone else I can out of here. We're getting a group together - going to try and democratically govern this place because, like it or not, the law here is kind of lax and people need some kind of structure to cling to. So a group of us…we're going to make that structure." Jaiden lifts his hand and presses it to the opposite side of the barrier where her hand is, the stuff surprisingly thin, all things considered. "Just be here for me when I get out. I'm going somewhere with wide open skies and vistas and fresh air, and I want good friends to enjoy the good scenery."

Liz smiles a little sadly. "Someday I'm gonna go sit on a beach with drinks with umbrellas too…. but there's no rest for the wicked right now, babe." She doesn't remove her hand. "I'm not giving up hope on you or this dome. You and Ygraine need to hook up. The two of you are talking at cross purposes here, babe, and the more scattered people are the more likely someone else will get dead by those fuckers. Be careful, will you? I'd hate it if your cute ass gets shot up like JJ's did."

"I've only been shot once…grazed, really, and I don't feel like repeating the occasion. After this, though. You, me, Ygraine, Cardinal…other folks…we're going to Jamaica or something. On my dime." Jaiden is setting a goal, his hand still on the forcefield.

Chuckling, Elisabeth says in amusement, "If you can convince all of them to do that, Jaiden, you can ask anything you want. I will make it happen if it's within my ability to do it. Cuz seriously? I need like four days in a row of sleeping. In the sun."

"I'll be sure to oil you up just perfect, from head to toe, and hold a beach umbrella to be sure you don't get too terribly burned." Jaiden gives her a wink, letting his hand slip from the barrier and stepping back. "Gotta get to meet Ygraine. If you have any news, call me, okay?"

"I will," Elisabeth promises with a wickedly flirty smile. "I'm holding you to that, you know. It better smell like frangipani and coconut and other exotic wonders." She takes her hand down and watches him go, trying to hide her worry.


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