[[ continued from This is Me ]]

Raffe still wasn't comfortable talking about his gift.  Nox wanted to help. He felt lost and confused with his feelings about it. He didn't want Raffe to die.  He didn't want Raffe to do anything that he didn't want to either.  And once they were outside Nox took Raffe's hand and gave him a happy smile. Raffe always seemed to bring that smile out. "If you don't feel it then you don't have to come back. I just don't..."  Nox didn't finish the words, Raffe knew what would happen. "Maybe you can figure it out like the rest of us did.  Problem though with that is you end up doing something that makes you have to do that. I knew one guy who had to be afraid to use the power.  My sister and I had to hold hands before we could even touch the power inside."  Nox shrugged. "I'll try to drop it, let you figure out what you want, but I care and it's hard, and I can't fix it. I want to fix it."

Nox hadn't forgotten the actual question he'd asked him,but it was hardly as important.  But he wasn't ignoring Raffe either. Nox hated feeling like he was bad at something.  "The arm is lighter."  Nox shrugged the new limb. "But I think I won't get eaten alive because I can't move with it now. I'll keep practicing though." Nox chuckled. "Though I hate taking this piece of equipment into a fight. I mean, what if I break it." Which was a real fear. Nox hadn't broken the landwarriors Sage had given him, or the ones Aria had either.  He could take care of things, but this was an arm, what if he got bit again or there was no other choice... So many things...

[[ Danika, Morven, MV, Marcus -- any of ya'll Kremlin types are welcome to jump in otherwise it'll just be a solo rp ]]

Durante had contacted the Inquisitor. And before the man disappeared off the planet he'd mentioned the boy god wanting to share information.  

Angelika sent the boy a private secure text

I am Dr. Woźniak an Atharim scientist. You mentioned to the Inquisitor the tunnels? and help?

His response was not immediate but it came in just as the nights started to get dark 

Dr. Weston and co await you at a secret Kremlin facility.

It was cryptic, but it gave her a who and a place just not a why or when.  She supposed it didn't matter.  And scheduling an appointment wouldn't matter one way or the other.  The Kremlin was a big place, and the front desk was the most logical place to start.

She looked the average business woman.  Nothing fancy, nothing too strict, but business like.  The suit was tailored to fit, she did not look like the nerdy scientist she preferred to walk around like.  Today was all about impressions.  And not dying.  It was a dangerous avenue to undergo, but she doubted that they'd kill her on the spot, she after all had never killed a single soul unlike others -- and Durante walked these walls -- he was a hunter, a killer... exceptions to be made.

At the front desk she smile though it was forced. "My name is Dr. Woźniak. I was sent by a young man, Nox Durante to meet with Dr. Weston.  It is about a project down in the bowles of the city."

Continued from: Beggars (Market district)

They both had errands and agreed to meet up for their respective needs. Grym wasn’t the kind of girl that went shopping with another girl, for car parts or shoes. She procured the necessary piece that she found online, and negotiating a good percentage off the top price too. Which meant she had enough cash to front a night out.

The place she recommended was a basement bar off Pushkin Square, Pod Mukhoi, which was Russian slang for tipsy. Off a back alley there was a set of concrete, narrow stairs leading to a rackety door. The neon sign above was broken, such that the P was dark, leading the name to look more like Od Mukhoi.

On Thursday nights the place was busier, mostly with locals, but a tourist or two wasn’t unheard of. Grym pushed the door open, but the sun was still up and the bar was mostly empty.

An older woman well past her prime was leaning against a wall, broom crooked in her elbow while she tapped away at a Wallet in her hand. She wore a leopard print top with a bulge of fat squished out the sides where it had ridden up above her hips. Her hair was pulled back, a mix of old black dye and unfinished roots. Her legs were bare below a mini skirt, and she wore black knee-boots.

She glanced up when the door opened, looking annoyed by the early customers.

*throws confetti*

Meeting the Atharim channeler had been exciting and lackluster once Allan got past his initial reaction.  Much of polish had worn off when the Ascendancy had questioned his motives for wanting to join them in the tunnels.  And doubts crept in. But the awe of the world unknown still pulled at Allan.  He eagerly awaited the meeting with his leader later that evening.

Still in uniform Allan made his way to the Ascendancy's private chambers. No time had been given and Allan would wait as long as necessary for the man to allow him entrance into his private affairs. There were rumors of his relationship with the US Congresswoman, and now that they were separated by oceans those rumors had not ceased only changed in directions.  Allan held no stock in those rumors anymore than he had with others around the compound.  But he had listened none-the-less.

Allan wondered about the book or knowledge on offer.  Where did the Ascendancy get it?  How did he know about the Atharim? Why did he put so much stock in the boy who could channel, when he could obviously end the man's life with just as much ease.  Trust was not something to be given lightly.  He was a proclaimed enemy of channelers -- yet he was one.  The dichotomy was deafening in Allan's ears.  How could he do both?  Be both?

Allan knocked on the entryway door and waited for his mentor to answer.  There might be just a handing over of the book or a long night full of conversation.  With the Ascendancy, Allan never knew.  But no matter what it was a joy to spend the time with the man.  So much better than his own father.

Today the Ascendancy announced the reveal of a new global construction plan. The CCD will build an interconnect, submersible tube structure that will connect the continents to each other. Through the thousands of miles will course vactrains, which use vacuum pressures to allow magnetized trains to travel at incredibly fast speeds due to the lack of air resistance. 

Imagine a 45 minute train commute that carries workers from London to New York. These trains have the capability to travel up to 5,000 miles per hour. Initial plans will begin with a travel speed closer to 1,200 miles per hour. The ride is expected to be as smooth a ride as traveling through space. These pipes are planned to traverse Australia, Asia, Africa, South America. Immediate plans to connect to North America have not yet been solidified.