AEGIS Outreach

The inky black vessel sped through the equally dark void. Only the iridescent green highlights and dull glow of its engines betrayed its flight. There was no sound as it shot by. Inside the vessel was anything but quiet. At the front of the Interceptor the pilot turn back to her passengers; the group dubbed "The Mentors". "Control says we're needed now and we're not going fast enough" the exasperated pilot complained. "We're still 70 minutes out and that's even if I pull the slingshot up short and come in hot." Farrady Irons, the Patriot, stood in the compartment learning over the pilot's chair and reviewed the monitors. His calm was at odds with the increasingly desperate situation in their target: the city of Arcadia. "They're going down like flies. I count four teams down already. Most are struggling to keep on top of things. Can we go faster?" The pilot cocked her head and threw her voice loudly t...

"Jenson!" Captain Danvers angrily barked as he strode from console the console. His eyes took in everything. "The western corridor is open. What are you doing there?" "Ummm... Sir," came the hesitant response, "They were overrun." "I told you to pull Citizen's Arrest out!" Danver's sharp retort bit hard. The Operative visibly cringed. "Where are they?" "They wouldn't withdraw Sir. Said they had it under control... They're... they're gone Sir." Danvers didn't hesitate. "Retask Nexion and X-Treme to contain the threat. Warn adjacent units of additional incoming hostiles." Again the Operative responded but did so with great reluctance. "The various X teams aren't acknowledging AEGIS Command Sir." "Wonderful. Rogue combatants in the field of operations. I'll have Summer's guts for garters after this," Danvers snarled. "ETA on...

"Jenson!" Captain Danvers angrily barked as he strode from console the console. His eyes took in everything. "The western corridor is open. What are you doing there?" "Ummm... Sir," came the hesitant response, "They were overrun." "I told you to pull Citizen's Arrest out!" Danver's sharp retort bit hard. The Operative visibly cringed. "Where are they?" "They wouldn't withdraw Sir. Said they had it under control... They're... they're gone Sir." Danvers didn't hesitate. "Retask Nexion and X-Treme to contain the threat. Warn adjacent units of additional incoming hostiles." Again the Operative responded but did so with great reluctance. "The various X teams aren't acknowledging AEGIS Command Sir." "Wonderful. Rogue combatants in the field of operations. I'll have Summers' guts for garters after this," Danvers snarled. "ETA on the Mentors?...

With the band off in space we abruptly lost 2 players. Real life intervened with others. Faced with a highly erratic cast the world is in stasis... If we continue the adventures of the Band there will be a "soft reboot" with the world advancing almost a year to the next Intake Day. RESURGENCE The Band have seperated. All that remains are Tommy and Jessie. G'Em has returned to space. Pulsar was recruited by the Ark of Worlds and Tindaar found a way home. It was a long, hard year. The Freedom League have been missing for most of the year. Now, more than ever, Earth Prime needs heroes.

Pulsar: Time After Time (Teaser) Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Nov 19, 2016 at 12:04 AM Time After Time “Oh my god. I’m too late.” The scene of destruction that greeted him was tragic. Wildey Park was aflame. It’s majestic and ancient trees, once home to the mighty Western Forrest, now lay shattered and burning. Acrid smoke filled the air, it’s haze obscuring charred human remains scattered amount the carnage. Behind the wasteland of Widley Park, the Ordway Observatory, home of the Wicked Witch Café and the superhero group known as the Band, was a tumbled ruin. The centuries old brick glowed with heat. Rivulets of lava flowed in places. In less than a heartbeat Pulsar fully explored the site. Each heartbreaking microsecond stretched into minutes, even hours, as he flickered through the site. Eric had found each of his friends. Jessie, Tommy, Tindaar and G’Em. While he had found each, each was gone. Dead. The air itself thrummed as the smoke swirled aside above...

Prologue to Sofa Surfing Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Nov 05, 2016 at 12:47 AM The morning was as brisk as the business at the Wicked Witch Cafe. Lycra mafia jostled for position with blue and white collar patrons in queue for their piping hot cup of morning libation. The magical elixir was being dispensed with ruthless efficiency under the steely yet tranquil gaze of Mat "Harvest" Black. The customers all respected Mat. He stood tall and imposing behind the machine. He said little. He didn't have to say very much as his presence was felt throughout the cafe. It was neither unpleasant nor menacing but it carried with it a heavy weight of authority and the unspoken warning of "do not upset my tranquillity or you will be very sorry". All locals knew that Mat doubled as the bouncer for nights when the Wicked Witch opened as a bar and speak easy. He was one of the most feared bouncers in Southside. This was not because of any action he had taken...

The Opposing Force: Frankie is a Tad' Annoyed Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Oct 26, 2016 at 04:07 AM “Frankie!” Dr Einstein visibly cringed. He was being addressed by what might as well be Dougie Houser MD… except of Asian complexion and wearing mirrored wraparound sunglasses and unlikely to ever graduate to being a respected individual. Dr Einstein ran his head through his slicked back dark widow’s peak. “Tadashi," he clipped briskly, "please don’t do that. What are you doing here?” Dr Einstein hissed. His irritation clearly shined through and the younger man seemed a little taken aback. “Good,” thought Einstein. “Anyhoo baby, remember that loser the Freebooter?” “He’s semi-regular annoyance. The man just won’t take no for an answer. Get to the point.” Every moment Tadashi was here was another moment of risk. Tadashi continued conversationally. Deliberately so. "Yeah. A no talent hack. Thinks he’s our equal. Tell me about it Frankie. You ai...

Ordway Observatory: The Facility Layout and Surrounds Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Oct 12, 2016 at 07:12 AM The Ordway Observatory (OO) once stood as a lonely five story landmark but suburbia has grown around it. The OO finds itself on a crossroads with shops and local commerce on all bar the western side of the property. The OO is bordered by a small car park to the east and south and a set of shops to the north. Primary vehicle entry to the OO is by the eastern car park entrance (with easy access to the workshop). As the only local five story structure it is the tallest building in the neighbourhood. All the remains of the OO’s once generous grounds is a tree dappled park backing onto the west side of the Observatory. Wildey Park is popular with locals and visitors alike and provides a steady source of patronage for the Wicked Witch Café. Wildey Park features a basketball court which, by happy coincidence, can just accommodate an AEGIS VTOL Interceptor. While this ...

Location, Location, Location: The Ordway Observatory, Southside District Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Sep 23, 2016 at 01:41 AM The Ordway Observatory; Home of the Wicked Witch Café “Serving you the best brew since 02” The Ordway Observatory is something of a local icon being over 130 years old and with a colourful history. The Ordway Observatory (often simply the "Double O”) commenced construction in 1880 during Arcadia’s 250th anniversary. The Observatory was constructed through 1880 to 1883 in the District of Southside by John Ordway and was designed by famed architect Jerry Bolton (Ref: Comic Artists Jerry Ordway & John Bolton). Prior to construction local legend had the site as being in the immediate vicinity (if not the actual site) of a late seventeenth century battle between Inquisitor Grayve and the “Witch of the West Forest”. At the time, what is now Southside was simply wild woodland to the west of the Settlement of Bayside from which Minister...

AEGIS: The Caterers Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Sep 12, 2016 at 04:02 AM “Caterers?” Henry dodged aside as a young dark haired Asian woman zipped past him. He thought her name was Aki. He almost dropped his phone which would prematurely end his protest to his wife. “Did we really need Caterers?” The small voice in the phone replied with great patience. “Yes dear. This morning you told me it would be just your work colleagues. At lunch you changed it to your work colleagues and all their interns. That makes it, what? 40? 50 people?” Henry pushed himself against the wall as a young woman of the classic red headed Irish complexion swiftly passed him back in the other direction. Ako? Yes. She introduced herself as Ako… he thought. “They’re not interns. They’re Inductees…” “Is Director Thorne paying them?” The voice on the phone continued as if speaking with a well-intentioned small child. “Well no, dear,” protested Henry. “That’s not how Outreach works.” “Then...

AEGIS: Ramifications Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Sep 11, 2016 at 04:24 AM "And you just let her take it?" Tara let her surprise surface. Adrian shrugged. "What was I going to do? She knew I had it and apparently she needed it." "But why? She can dimension shift. She didn't need the hypercube." It wasn't that Tara cared very much for the now absent device. If anything it was more of a monkey paw than a useful device. The trouble to her thinking is that in the wrong hands it could be dangerous. Very dangerous. Adrian seemed resigned to it's loss and that infuritated Tara even more. The large man turned to Tara and continued in his reasoning. "Jean... sorry, the Sovereign Citizen One iteration of Jean, said she needed it to help bounce her dimension's trajectory away from the Warpwold. It was to save that reality. Besides dear, how was I supposed to stop her?" Tara calmed. Adrian had points. It ...

AEGIS: The Report Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Aug 24, 2016 at 06:20 AM The Director and her aide were once more in their elements. Director Thorne was seated comfortably behind her desk. Captain Danvers was standing comfortably at ease before the desk. It was becoming apparent to both parties that this was to be the default arrangement between the two. The conversation had been on the verge of happening since the incident in the Embarkation Room. Candidate Pulsar had unexpectedly dematerialised while the technicians were calibrating the Description Engine for Candidates G’Em and Tindar. Director Thorne had little choice but to dispatch Jean and the remaining candidates to retrieve Pulsar. Prudently Special Agents Hooper and White had also been instructed to accompany the untested superhumans. In little less than two hours the band returned reporting a subjective time lapse of the better part of a day. A report had been filed by the Agents while the novice heroes c...

AEGIS: The Observation Deck Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Aug 18, 2016 at 07:45 AM The Observation Deck was unnecessarily located in an armoured bunker above what was now known as the Embarkation Chamber. Like all areas of the Spire, both rooms were constructed to gleam and shine as a constant reminder of the hope that the Spire and Outreach, which resided there, were intended to inspire. In years past the area below the Observation Deck had evolved. It commenced operation as an Action Room where superhumans engaged in controlled practice. This was upgraded a number of times to become more immersive and provide for specific scenarios. The most recent, and most dramatic change occured three years ago when Outreach procured a Description Engine – a device capable of generating temporary pseudo pocket realities on demand. And so the area below the Observation Deck had been renamed to the Embarkation Chamber. Within the Observation Deck two figures stood to the side of t...

Thomas Rhymer: Things Men Were Not Meant to Know Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Jun 10, 2016 at 08:29 AM The night was moonless, as required. The stars were veiled by fast moving clouds. A lone figure stood inhaling the last dregs of a cheap cigarette. Long flowing ginger locks danced in the wind. The figure’s weather beaten trench coat, it’s true colour lost with age, threatened to tear itself free form the form. The figure was muttering. “Don’t know why I agreed to this bollocks.” The figure held a conversation with itself. A sign of madness in some. A sign of power in others. “It pays well and don’t I bloody know it. If I pull this off I can clear some debts. Those things have been piling up. Bad habit I suppose.” “If it doesn’t damn well kill me.” The figure continued it’s audible self monologue. Time slowly advanced towards the required hour. The man, for the figure was one, continued to pass the time in self debate. “Bloody Eldritch could do this in thi...

The Odd Couple: Jane and Navigatrix Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Jun 06, 2016 at 08:18 AM “Navigatrix, does it ever bother you seeing strangers wearing the face of people you know and love?” Jane desperately hoped the intelligent construct would be empathetic to her plight. The anthropomorphic android cocked it’s head at an almost human angle. “No. It does not Jane. I was constructed to travel the Omni-verse. I was programmed to expect echoes, reflections and iterations.” Navigatrix was seated next to Jane on a bench at Claremont Academy. It was fall. The sun was shining but provided feeble warmth from the clear sky. Jane was dressed casually in Janes, a t-shirt and flannel. Navigatrix wore nothing. The robot’s synthetic white and silver alloyed form was on display but no one payed any heed. After all, this was Claremont Academy, the world’s premier super-school. Navigatrix was far from the most unusual being present. Jane slid back on the bench and lo...