Participants:
| Scene Title | Just A Dome |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | While investigating the mysterious barrier itself, Melissa and Devon make projections for the immediate future, until the present proves to be even more so. |
| Date | January 31, 2011 |
It's a little surreal to see.
The currents and the tide is different on either side of where— well, the barrier does not glow blue where it hits the water, but Devon and Melissa can see where it continues along the ground into it, until the water becomes too murky and too deep to see through. But you can see the implication, where the choppy waves of the river outside plays up against the 'glass' wall, and the river water on this side is calmer despite the tonnes of steel and concrete that fell into it just moments prior. Too subtle to see, the river level has risen a fraction where the coast of Roosevelt Island inclines into the murky river.
And beyond, two boats try to find survivors. The air is a little hazy, on this side of the island, from the bridge's collapse. Emergy lights glow on the Manhattan coast, but there doesn't seem to be any damage to that borough. Why would there be, if the barrier cut through the bridge?
This is where exploring the northern most edge of the barrier has taken them — from one side of the island to the other, the short way, seeming dividing the island right down the middle at a subtle curve.
For the moment Melissa has left the girls in her charge at her apartment with a neighbor, since exploring this sort of thing with a baby and toddler isn't really a smart thing to do. She frowns as she follows the barrier with her eyes — or at least the visual effect that it causes on it's environment. "This sort of a thing has got to be draining a lot out of the person maintaining it," she murmurs, digging out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up. "I just wonder if they can maintain something like this from outside or if they're in here with us."
"You think someone is doing this," Devon asks. He's followed Melissa, mostly to act as an extra set of eyes and ears. That's the reason he'll give, though it's only half true. The main reason is to keep his mind busy. He's so far avoided trying to call his aunt or even his boss, though soon he knows he'll have to. "You don't think it's some freak machine or gross experiment by those government fucks?" The teenager kicks at the earth, intent on kicking a clump of something at the line drawn by the barrier.
Glancing at Devon, Melissa smiles faintly. "Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a gross experiment by the government. But it's still someone doing it. An individual, most likely, maybe a group of people, or just one with their ability boosted. Maybe they're doing it at the government's command, maybe their ability is being hijacked. I don't know. But I want to find out."
She continues walking, not just looking at where the barrier is, but just inside, checking out the damage, and around, looking for suspicious peoples. "I think I'm going to need to break out my laptop later. Map out where we know the barrier is. If there's a center-point, it couldn't hurt to go check there, see if there's someone there, maintaining it. Since a lot of abilities work on a radius sort of limit for distance. You find the mid-point, you find the evolved responsible."
"Didn't think Evolved types could do anything like this." Of course, Devon wouldn't know much about the Evo-community. It's not something that's really come up with his aunt, whatever their status in that regard says. "What makes you sure that it's someone inside here doing this? Did you see the dust cloud when that bridge came down? Whatever it is, this thing is huge."
Melissa shakes her head. "I'm not sure that it's someone inside. Whoever's doing it may be on the outside, I'm just not sure how they could manage it," she explains before drawing on her cigarette. "And the evolved can do a hell of a lot of things. I've only seen a fraction myself. But really, anything you've seen in superhero movies? Assume that it's possible.
"I can manipulate pain personally, but there are telekinetics, telepaths, pyrokinetics, aerokinetics, hydrokinetics…People who can turn their body into other things, or make clones of themselves, or communicate with animals. Healing, regeneration, radiation, speed, light, illusions…It's all out there."
She pauses to turn in a slow circle, looking around. "I half expected there to be more people out. Rubbernecking. People love looking at disasters. Maybe most of them got lucky and were all off the island. At work or friends houses or something."
'Government fucks', as priorly mentioned, are unfortunately not unknown around these parts. Especially not right now. As soon as Melissa looks, she spies two soldiers moving along the barrier — on the other side, however, the same investigative curiousity that shoved Melissa and Devon out here in turn. They bear rifles and they aren't just PMC lackeys either — they're among the men and women who are the new law since November the 8th. They truck is parked farther in-land, and upon seeing Devon and Melissa near the water, they move closer.
"Are you kids alright?" one calls out, not really seeing that Melissa is a full decade Devon's senior, but his voice is well-meaning enough.
The boy shrugs to the impromptu lessons. Another time he might have been more interested in the makes and models of an evolved. Right now he's focusing on the barrier and trying to wrap his brain around what it could be. Or mean. He steps closer to the barrier, pushing the toe of his shoe into its unyeilding surface. But when the soldiers appear with well-meaning questions, he turns his scrutiny onto them. "Absolutely fantastic," Devon replies, sarcasm plain in his tone. "We'll be better when you all quit dicking around and pop this bubble."
The concern actually has Melissa looking surprised. Shocked, almost, and she glances at Devon for a moment before looking back to the man, moving closer. "We're alright! You got any news? What's causing this or how big it is?" she calls back, being nice enough since, well, they were nice, and on the outside they may have more information than they do on the inside. Then in a lower voice she mutters, "Play nice with the guys who might be able to tell us stuff we don't know."
There's a glance between the two soldiers.
One of those need to know kind of things. When one of them does speak, the other one steers a look away. "The widest known area of effect is roughly 6000 feet in total and about half of Roosevelt Island, and we don't know what's happening to cause it, ma'am. But it's the country's new number one priority. I recommend you try to make contact with some of our people on the inside. There's a FRONTLINE officer who will probably get the most of the intel, if that's what you're interested in. I suggest you seek him out and buckle down 'til this thing blows over."
"And we're also going to have to ask you both to step away from the divide," says the other, in a much less indulgent tone of voice, edged and intolerant. His partner doesn't roll his eyes. Carefully.
Devon shakes his head at Melissa's request, letting out a sigh. Yeah, play nice. However, he keeps any further snide comments to himself. At least to begin with. A smirk forms while the first soldier speaks, recalling the Frontline guy who'd been there when everything came about. But it's when the second tells the two to step away from the divide, the teenager can't keep it in any longer. Stepping up as close as he can to the barrier without actually touching it, Dev looks right at the last man to speak. "Why should I? What's going to happen if I stay right where I am?"
In part of Melissa's brain, she's facepalming. There's a very definite mental smack, and a very real shake of her head. "Honestly, it's not dangerous, not by itself. We touched it when it first appeared. But we've got other things to scout out now anyway. Like trying to find your guy." She glances at Devon, considering, then she says, "I'm going to keep looking." There's no demand for him to come with though, and she just turns to continue walking. Kendall's taught her well! Sometimes.
A hand claps down on the arm of the guy Devon is confronting, the "nicer" soldier's jaw tensing with irritation. "It's just a recommended precaution," he says, in some attempts to soothe the bad vibes, taking a step back. Or maybe implicitly acknowledge that there are no real orders they can deal out while they're on the wrong side of the barrier.
No orders at all.
"The barrier cut through buildings, the electrical grid, pipes — the damage itself could be a danger if the barrier isn't," he adds, with a nod of concession. "So take care of yourself, that's all. Come on." And he starts off back to where the truck is parked, partner turning his back on the two without a word.
"That's what I thought," Devon says to himself, watching the two soldiers depart. Giving himself a mental shake, he turns away from the barrier to follow Melissa. "Sorry," he offers after following silently for several steps. "Not my most mature moment." He'll try and keep a cooler head next time. "…Six thousand feet at the widest affected area, and it's cut the island in half."
Melissa pauses so Devon can catch up, nodding. "Yeah. I'll have to keep that in mind when I'm figuring my map. And no, not the most mature moment, though part of me did wanna ask what they were gonna do if we didn't. Because, yeah, they can't do anything. Not now at least. But I wouldn't put it past them to remember faces, take names, and do something when the bubble comes down." She pauses, then shakes her head, laughing. "So many movies to quote, so little time," she murmurs. "Let's just hope no one's causing trouble in this bubble though."
Devon has the grace to blanche, he hadn't considered that they might remember faces or names. Well, some leniency should be granted to those stuck in the bubble. "Think we could sue the president if this turns out to be one of his stunts," he asks. Then after a pause, "We got at least one Frontline guy here, who knows what other types of 'law enforcement' got stuck in this thing with us." It's not much for consolement, but maybe people will realize that trouble in the bubble isn't a good thing.
With a shake of his head, Devon looks to the horizon and the where the barrier could possibly end. "You need help with that map, or any of the math or anything, just grab me."
"Trust me, I'm already wondering all of that," Melissa murmurs, hands shoving in her pockets now, her expression grim. "I doubt it's the President though. This would be bad press for him if and when he runs for re-election, and I'm sure he's gonna try. I don't see an evolved on their own doing this either since, we're basically Evo-Island here, and we've got a bad enough rep as it is." And she's not going to go into the Institute with a sixteen year old.
"Help with the map would be great, Devon. You might remember things I don't, and the more we learn about this, the better we'll be. Though unless the one causing it is in here with us, we're gonna have to rely on the outside to get us out." She's quiet for a long moment. "Okay, I know that guys your age are independant and all that, but with your aunt on the outside, if you wanted to crash at my place, it'd be okay. You'd have to deal with Junie occasionally waking up in the middle of the night, but it'd be okay."
Remember things, or be freakishly brainy about it, given how scholarly the kid is. To the offer, Devon shakes his head. "Thanks for the offer, Melissa. I'm just a floor down though." And he should be there, just in case a call does make it in. His aunt might call the house first instead of his cell phone. "I'll be okay."
Melissa nods, continuing to scan as they walk, making mental notes on where there's damage, where the dome ends, where she sees people. Surveying the area as someone who's dealt with trouble more than once before, and is good at coping with it. "Should find out about the explosion at some point. Find out where exactly it happened, and why. It happened too soon to the bubble popping up for it to be coincidence."
There's another moment of quiet thought. "I think we've gotten most of the people injured from our side of the island. And most people don't seem to have been separated like Rosie and her mom. Parents and young kids, I mean. Though it scares me how close Junie was to that thing."
A longer pause draws out from Devon, his jaw tightening over his own thoughts and wonderings. Eyes flick to the ground, then up and toward the buildings that remain undamaged. He's not exactly looking for anything, at least nothing terribly specific, but taking stock of the world inside the bubble.
The silence from the boy stretches on before he finally speaks again. "Definitely a stroke of luck," he says quietly. "Especially after what happened with that convoy. —You know, we're going to have to take stock of what supplies we have. Food, water, all that stuff. Who knows how long we're going to be stuck."
"Yeah. I've got plenty of food, but it's all stuff you just shove in the microwave or oven. Water too, so at least that's good for a while." A week or so, anyway, if she shares. Then Melissa looks downward, considering. "Really hope this is a dome and not a true bubble. If it's just on the surface, we can go down and out."
"Sounds like a plan." Devon tucks his hands into his coat pockets, eyes falling to the ground thoughtfully. Hopefully people will see the logic in sharing their food and supplies. Hopefully people will be willing to help dig. —Hopefully, everything will turn out alright. He falls silent as he walks alongside Melissa, brows knitting together while his mind works over the situation.
The slap slap slap of feet running against pavement soon interrupts them. There's no approach to them, directly, just someone moving down the road where there are others, some on the stoops of their homes to wait for news, some doing their own exploring, though Melissa and Devon had been alone in approaching the barrier itself. "Help! We need help!" shouts a raw voice, exhausted from running. "There's been— something happened!"
There's a weary murmur from the people in the street, someone moving out to grab the young man by the arm to halt him. Melissa and Devon can't make out what the older says to the younger, but they do hear the latter's reply: "No, it's the subway. We think the train crashed, underground! You have to come!
"They're alive!"