Torchwood [IC]

[JNAProductions]

OOC Thread

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You wake up in a spartan room. As you come to and investigate, you find a note on a table.

Spoiler: The Note (For Everyone To Read)

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I apologize for this, but we had little choice. You have been brought to an outpost of Torchwood. You haven't heard of us-and that's for the best.

You've seen too much. But there is potential-normally, you would be put back home, with no memory of what had happened. In this case, though...

After you awaken, you will be given some time to get your bearings. A meal will be provided, if you're hungry. And then we shall talk.

[DaOldeWolf]

Trent wakes up and decides to check the table. "So, what do we have here?" Trent replies as he reads the note on the table. He clenches the note as he recalls what had happened before he had blacked out. "Oh no. What is the meaning of this?!" he shouts outloud in demand of an answer.

[JeenLeen]

I... I'm not dead. is his first thought.

And... I can still think and move. That's good." is his second.

As he gets up, Alexander notices that he's stronger than before. Not what he expected. He gasps in response to seeing his arms, more muscular than he remembers. He feels his neck and shoulder -- also bigger -- but what he notices and cares about is that there's no gaping wound, just a little scar tissue from where the... zombies?.... bit him.

He also looses his balance as he gets up, seeing the mystery of the world around him. So many calculations, and his own responses factored in. However, he quickly assimilates the new information and makes his way to the desk.

After reading the note, he pauses and thinks. Is he hungry? Perhaps he isn't alive, really. He pinches himself, barely feeling anything. Odd.
"Hello, Torchwood?"

[DaOldeWolf]

Trent decided to start searching the room for anything else he could find. He searched for windows and doors. He then began searching under the bed and the table. He also checked the roof to see if there were anything like cameras. "I dont understand. Why would I be taken here?" Trent thinks about it. Why would there be a raid at his prestigious school. "Hello? Is somebody there? Can anybody hear me?" he tries shouting out loud hoping for an answer.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Trent

Show

There's a brief knocking at where a door should be, then it slides open. You see a woman, dressed casually in jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt, standing just beyond. "Sup," she says. "I'd calm down a bit, if I were you. I get it, kinda a lot to deal with, but... Well, boss-lady will explain. So come on," she gestures for you to follow. "You hungry? We can stop to grab some food before we meet the boss, if you want."

Spoiler: Alexander

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There's a brief knocking at where a door should be, then it slides open. You see a small, floating robot-a simple orb, plain white ceramic... A surprisingly clear voice comes from it, saying "Please follow me. The Director wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience-if you require sustenance, there is a mess that can be visited before your meeting."

[Niobaran]

Nicolas Kovacs

Kovacs awakes, eyes wide open in terror. He sits up, taking in a deep and loud breath, as if he had held his air for minutes. Then, taking in his new environment, shock turns to perplexity. Where am I? A hospital? He tests his muscles and finds himself able to breathe and move normally. He pulls the bed sheets from his body, checking what clothes he is wearing. Then, his eyes find the note on the table. He gets up to pick up the note. Please don't let this be some kind of horror movie... Reading it, he sits back on the bed. Torchwood... The name did not ring any bells. But the way the note was written still raised an alarm in his head. A secret organization? Doesn't sound like a government agency... I need to- what the- why's there no door? He starts to dart through the room, looking for exits and surveillance cameras.

[JeenLeen]

Alexander

With a bit of stunned surprise at an actual robot-orb, Alexander just mumbles, "Uh, y-yeah. I think I'm ready to see the Director."
Part of him thought he should eat first, but he didn't feel hungry.

This was a mix of terrifying and cool. Like something out of a video game or comic, but-- well, hard to tell what type yet.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Nicolas

Show

After a few moments of panic, there's a knocking at the door-or, well, where a door would normally be. "I'm gonna be coming in soon," a man's voice comes through. "So, uh... You know, be ready."

You take a moment to try to calm yourself, and the wall slides open, revealing an oddly-dressed man. He's got goggles loosely draped around his neck, what seems to be magnetic orbs speckled throughout his clothes, his hair completely unkempt. "Hi. You hungry?" he asks. "Cause we can get some food, if you want, but the director also wants to see you. So... You know, that'll happen soon."

Spoiler: Alexander

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"Follow me, please," the orb says, and begins floating away at a decent pace. You follow behind, going through various halls-not cramped, but not that spacious either. Eventually, you arrive at a more open area-an anteroom of sorts. There's a potted plant in the corner. "One moment," the orb says, and moves to the large door. "Madam Director, Alexander is here, whenever you are ready."

Through the door comes a woman's voice, clear and authoritative. "Come in," she says. The robot orb opens the door, and you see a large desk, with several monitors on it. Behind the desk sits a woman, with short blonde hair, dressed in a purple suit. She has earrings with a starfield pattern on them. She shuts down a few of the monitors as you come in and take a seat in one of the three chairs in front of you.

"Alexander Faulks," she says. "Formerly employed at Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. Excellent at mathematics. I could go on about your life's details, but there's little reason to. You should, as an inquisitive man, have quite a few questions. Let me try to address the most important ones."

She clears her throat. "Torchwood was founded in England, several centuries ago, after the first alien incursion in recorded history. We are here to deal with the things that the world is not ready to know about-while we do try to drip feed technology to the world at large, we have to be careful. We have since expanded to become a global organization, with members from all over the world-ranging from ordinary office workers who have the smarts to keep quiet, to well trained, elite agents comparable to MI6 or other intelligence/military operators, to people such as yourself. The gifted, The different. The... Special. Tell me, what's the cubic root of one hundred nineteen million, ninety five thousand, four hundred eighty eight?"

You answer, almost reflexively, 492.

"See? Smarter than before. Faster. Tougher. Stronger. You were, at that... Incident, in Raccoon City, infected by the M-Phage. Normally, you'd be a gibbering monster, insane with an influx of new information. But some people are more suited to burdens than others," she says. "Your talents would be of impressive usefulness here at Torchwood. I won't force you to say yes. If you want to, we can make you forget this ever happened. You'll go home, and read in the papers about a gas leak explosion at your office. Or... You can help keep the world safe."

The orb, which has been floating quietly in the corner, chips in now. "It's a cool job!"

The director chuckles a bit. "It is. What other questions do you need to ask?"

[DaOldeWolf]

Trent jumps in surprise when spoken to. He then looks at the woman at the door. "Of course. Lets go meet her." He wondered if the meeting would be followed by the memory wiping. He wasnt made for combat anyway so it probably wasnt worth it for him to resist. "Yes, some food would be nice." He replies accepting the offer from the woman.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Trent

Show

She leads you, walking casually, through the halls of the building. There are no windows, but it otherwise seems pretty normal.

Soon enough, you arrive at a larger room, with a potted plant in the corner. The door is ajar to the next room. "Huh. Rose, you ready?"

"Yes, bring him in," a woman's voice responds.

Spoiler: Alexander

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You hear someone approaching from the room behind you. "Huh. Rose, you ready?" you hear a deeper woman's voice come from behind.

"Yes, bring him in," the director (Rose, apparently) responds.

Spoiler: Trent and Alexander

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You see a woman in a purple suit, with starfield earrings and short blonde hair. She sits behind a desk with various, currently turned off, computers.

"Trent Reed. It's good to meet you. Trent, this is Alexander Faulks-I don't believe you've ever met before. I was just explaining to Alexander what exactly we do here."

[Niobaran]

Spoiler: Nicolas

Show

After a few moments of panic, there's a knocking at the door-or, well, where a door would normally be. "I'm gonna be coming in soon," a man's voice comes through. "So, uh... You know, be ready."

You take a moment to try to calm yourself, and the wall slides open, revealing an oddly-dressed man. He's got goggles loosely draped around his neck, what seems to be magnetic orbs speckled throughout his clothes, his hair completely unkempt. "Hi. You hungry?" he asks. "Cause we can get some food, if you want, but the director also wants to see you. So... You know, that'll happen soon."

Be ready? But then, Nicolas just calms himself. The voice did not sound aggressive. Apparently he was also under surveillance. He looks down at his clothes again. A hospital gown over his running pants, shirt and shoes. They seemed intact but somehow felt slightly different. A bit stiff as iff they had been wet and dried again. A faint memory pops up in his mind, a short chat with the security guard who told him he'd rather not see him enter... A funny nearly flirty response... Then... sweating... a high pitched sound... In his mind? then the sound of bursting metal... and ...

The door opens and wipes away the memory.

"Water would be great." he answers. "And yes, I'd like to speak with the director."

[DaOldeWolf]

Trent nods as he waits to hear the details. Afterall, he couldnt remember the exact details on what happened at school or how he got thre or even where he was now. "OK. I´ll be listening carefully. Why are we here then?" Trent replies trying not to sound demanding.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Nicolas

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"Okay, cool," he responds. He leads you to a large mess area, that's mostly empty, save for a few people in suits off in one corner, talking over some sandwiches.

Spoiler: Trent and Alexander

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"Perhaps I should've waited for all of you before explaining. But, it is what it is. Torchwood is a global organization, created to deal with aliens, supernatural beings, and all manner of other unsavory things. You were not the only at the incident, but you were the only one we brought here. The rest will wake up with a headache and no memory of what went down," Rose says. "That is because, In Alexander's case, he has M-Phage. In your case... Well, we're not precisely sure what happened, but you have abilities beyond that of most. See if you can figure out how to use them."

"The gist of it is, you can help keep the world safe. This isn't something we're forcing you into-it is dangerous. But we believe you have what it takes to help all mankind."

[Niobaran]

Spoiler: Nicolas

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"Okay, cool," he responds. He leads you to a large mess area, that's mostly empty, save for a few people in suits off in one corner, talking over some sandwiches.

Seeing the people in suits just adds to the peculiarities of the whole situation, and he instinctively runs a hand through his hair. Then, he grabs a water bottle (or glass, whatever there is), unscrews it, and turns to his guide. "Let's get to the director." he suggests before drinking half of the small bottle in one turn. "I want to understand what's going on here." His voice is not unfriendly, but he is apparently not too comfortable with the situation.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Nicolas

Show

"Yeah. She wants to talk to you too," he says. As you go, you pass a woman in a sleeveless T and raggedy jeans.

As you walk past her, she chuckles. "You got stuck with the nerd," she comments.

"Yeah, screw you too," your guide says, and before long, you're in a room with a potted plant. The door leading to the office beyond is slightly ajar.

"Director LaLonde?" the man says. "I've got Nicolas here."

"Of course," she says, a touch exasperated. "I explain it twice and then the third person arrives. Well, come in."

Nicolas walks in, with his guide waving goodbye. "I'm going to make a long story very short for you, Nicolas-we here at Torchwood are in the business of keeping the world safe from all manner of supernatural badness. Your talents can and will be quite useful. If you have any more questions, ask them-just be specific if you can."

[JeenLeen]

As a new person enters the room, the mathematical explosion of information ripples through Alexander's mind. He squints and moves his hand to his head, expecting a headache, but none comes. He's surprised at how easily it all comes to his understanding.

For the moment, he's mostly devoid of questions. Or at least of being able to verbalize them.

Waving an awkward hello to the two other... recruits?... he finally asks, "So, everyone I saw die will be alive again? And... we could be put back to normal if we wanted, or, basically, we can be secret agents helping prevent other dangers like that?"

[JNAProductions]

"Not... Everyone. We did what we could to help the innocents present, but medical technology has limits," the Director says. "Most of the people there knew what they were doing. But not everyone. We're not perfect," she continues, her voice calm, but with an undercurrent of remorse.

She continues, though, saying "But, yes-that's the gist of it. Join us, help keep the world safe. Or say no, and this never happened."

[DaOldeWolf]

Spoiler: Nicolas

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"Okay, cool," he responds. He leads you to a large mess area, that's mostly empty, save for a few people in suits off in one corner, talking over some sandwiches.

Spoiler: Trent and Alexander

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"Perhaps I should've waited for all of you before explaining. But, it is what it is. Torchwood is a global organization, created to deal with aliens, supernatural beings, and all manner of other unsavory things. You were not the only at the incident, but you were the only one we brought here. The rest will wake up with a headache and no memory of what went down," Rose says. "That is because, In Alexander's case, he has M-Phage. In your case... Well, we're not precisely sure what happened, but you have abilities beyond that of most. See if you can figure out how to use them."

"The gist of it is, you can help keep the world safe. This isn't something we're forcing you into-it is dangerous. But we believe you have what it takes to help all mankind."

"Not... Everyone. We did what we could to help the innocents present, but medical technology has limits," the Director says. "Most of the people there knew what they were doing. But not everyone. We're not perfect," she continues, her voice calm, but with an undercurrent of remorse.

She continues, though, saying "But, yes-that's the gist of it. Join us, help keep the world safe. Or say no, and this never happened."

"Abilities?" Trent speaks to himself wondering what new abilities he could have. "You have made quite an interesting proposition but I have a few inquiries. How are we supposed to work? Where does the work come from? And probably more importantly, how did you find us?"

[Niobaran]

Nicolas

Following the interaction between the two Torchwood ... handlers (?), Nicolas is not sure what to make of it. This becomes stranger by the minute. What is this? A secret organization and a high school? When he is led into the director's office, he is nearly disappointed not to find a bald man in a wheelchair, an uptight guy with a visor, a wise-looking woman, and an impatient looking guy with strange facial hair and a passion for lumberjack shirts.

He nods to the other newcomers, unsure whether their confused faces should calm or alert him. At least I'm not alone in this, he tries to tell himself. Apparently, they had been briefed already, as the explanation of LaLonde indicated. An explanation which not really answered too many of his questions.

"I... I have actually several questions. Where are we? How much time has passed since the incident? How did I actually end up here? Do you have any governmental sponsorship for your mission? Since when is mind wiping a thing? What kind of talents do you speak of? ... My apologies, but, it's kind of a lot..."

[JeenLeen]

Alexander

"Listen, this sounds... hard to believe, but here I am a muscleman compared to my old self and not dead after zombies attacked me. So I'm willing to believe stuff. And I guess part of me has always dreamed of being a hero like in comics or video games. I get we'll probably have to do some quiet stuff, maybe shady stuff, to protect and keep things like... well, zombie plagues... quiet.

"But is there anything you can tell us to confirm you're the good guys?
Like, it's not an uncommon plot twist to find out the accidents were arranged just to form people with powers to be recruited. I don't really think that's the case here, but I'd like to avoid having those doubts if you can prove something."

[JNAProductions]

"You will, if you choose to work with us, get training, of course. Both on your abilities and how to handle yourself in dangerous situations. We found you because what happened at your work, or school, is exactly the kind of think we handle," she says. "You are currently in a Torchwood outpost, in an undisclosed location. I'd offer more geography, but it's honestly not particularly relevant. It's been about twelve hours since the incidents occurred-luckily, none of you were too heavily injured. Governments, at the highest levels, offer us assistance-not so much money, as we have that in spades from technology we've created, but support, opening borders, providing military assets, things like that. Mind wiping is one of the first things we figured out-it was encoded into technology around a century ago. Formerly, it was the practice of Torchwood Mages."

When Alexander asks for proof that they're the good guys, Rose frowns. "I... I wasn't honestly prepared for that question. Sometimes you're so sure of what you do, that you don't think about what others think. I could pull up a whole host of documents showing what we've done to keep the world safe, but they could be forged, so... I'm not sure how to prove that we're on the right side of history. What can I do to ease your mind?"

[JeenLeen]

Alexander

He pauses a bit, thinking.
To his surprise, he starts to get some assessments of how different answers he could give would impact the response from the Director. Not quite sure what to make of this ability yet, he shrugs and, with a somewhat-apologetic face, says, "I... guess I hadn't really thought that through, either. You sound like the good guys. I guess... like, I reckon some people who became zombies had to be killed, some were healable... do we have to kill people sometimes, like normal people. Or does that mindwiping work to keep folk ignorant of stuff like we saw? What did you do to Umbrella to stop them from running that experiment again next week?"

[JNAProductions]

"In the past, in limited areas, we've tried to make public what we do. Or at least, parts. It's inevitably met with pushback, denial, and people refusing to accept it-or demanding that all their problems be solved. Sometimes both from the same person. So, we make the people who get wrapped up forget what happened-it's usually not more than an hour of memory gone," she says. "They wake up near the incident, and thank god they didn't die or get seriously injured. They have vague memories of something happening, that just naturally get filled in as they hear about 'what happened'. Umbrella is... One of the threats of the world. Their CEO, Albert Wesker, has been trying to find the perfect bioweapon for decades. Thankfully, we've been able to stop him from any mass deployments of them, but he's been growing bolder."

She takes a deep breath, and answers the first question. "We do our best to keep everyone safe-not just the innocent, but the enemy too. People can change. People can be redeemed. But we are not perfect. Innocent lives have been lost. Some of them we could've saved. Some of them..." she says, her voice catching a little bit. She closes her eyes a moment, then speaks again. "You will never be asked to hurt an innocent. But when you work with us, you have power. You have responsibilities. And you will make mistakes. With luck, no one will suffer too much from them. With luck, any mistakes you make will hurt only us-we know the risks. But I cannot promise that you will always be able to sleep easily. I cannot promise that you'll never have to choose between two evils, and be unsure which one is truly lesser."

[DaOldeWolf]

"I suppose I could give this a chance at the very least." Trent proclaims. He didnt mind giving the chance to such a cause since if they had bad intentions, they probably wouldnt have reacted the way they did. "Alright, where do we start? We probably could use some place to try out the powers in actions. In a safe environment of some kind if at all posible." He declares still partially wondering what his special talent could be.

[JNAProductions]

"Excellent. If you all feel the same..." she says, looking at each of you in turn.

Spoiler: OOC

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Imma assume you say yes, because, well, that's the game. :P

She nods when you affirm. "We have training rooms. Some of them are empty right now. Orb," she says.

An orb in the corner of the room, made of white ceramics, floats up slightly. "Yes ma'am!" the orb says.

"Please escort our new agents to a training room. If they need anything-new clothes, food, drink-help them with that as well," she continues.

"Of course, ma'am! Please, follow me," the orb says. It leads you out of the room, and gently closes the door behind. Once you're out of earshot, the orb starts talking. "This is exciting! New agents, with new abilities... Oh, this will be so much fun! You guys will be my friends, right?"

[Niobaran]

Nicolas Kovacs

Nicolas follows the exchange of words, perplexed by the usage of some words ("zombie") and curious about the fact that apparently the lady is dead serious about what she is saying. Either this was the most realistic dream he ever had, or he really slid into a stranger than fiction situation. When it is his turn to accept, he does so, with a "yes" that sounds firmer than he had expected. Still unsure what to make of it, taking the blue pill sounded wrong on its own. Rather find out who can wipe minds than to have your mind wiped.

As he walks along with the others and the drone, he introduces himself to the others: "By the way, hi everyone, I'm Nicolas." He smiles warmly at the others, and also gives a somewhat awkward wave at the ceramic orb. "Looks like we're stuck in this together, eh? Where're you guys from?"

[JeenLeen]

Alexander

Alexander agrees, some eagerness for training showing on his face.

---

"Oh, yeah, I guess none of us did get introduced. I'm Alexander. I was a statistician, working on medical trials. It, uh... seems the company I worked at is some evil organization and I woke up here after a zombie outbreak."

To the orb: "Yeah. And not to be rude, but what are you? I've never seen a real, well, whatever you are."
As he talks to the orb, he's trying to get a sense of his readings on verbal responses, and to see if he gets data from it like he seemed to with the Director.

[JNAProductions]

The orb responds. "I'm orb! A personal assistance device created by a former Torchwood technician. He passed a few years ago, just due to age, really," orb continues, a touch of sadness audible in its voice, "but I stuck around."

[DaOldeWolf]

Trent decides to introduce himself too. "I am Trent. A student." Trent remains silent for a moment unsure on what else to follow it with. "Its a pleasure to meet you all. Lets try to get along." Trent replies.

[Niobaran]

Nicolas Kovacs

"Nice to meet you guys, and ... you orb." He responds. "Wait, did you just say zombie outbreak?"