I13DT: An Undisclosed Location

[Will Stanton]

There seemed to be some quite detailed files on a number of potential X-Team opponents, including relatively recent changes to their powersets--somehow, for example, they knew all about Ryan's SHIELD training, and had suggested a neurotoxin which replicated the effects of an inner ear infection to keep him grounded as a countermeasure. For John, a focused beam of just the ultraviolet spectrum of light could replicate and increase the effects of natural sunlight on his darkforce armor, as well as possibly penetrate the outer shell he'd developed over the years--things like that.

[Miranda Weaver]

"Those don't need to be there," she mumbled to herself, moving to edit the files to include erroneous information. Ryan now, apparently, had a strong aversion to the ultrasonics present in the song "It's a Small World". And John's armor could be penetrated by a pen laser adjusted to the 'blue grade wavelength'... whatever that was. She scratched her head for a moment and then deleted any historical revisions of the files.

[Narrator]

At the very least, this would change the LOCAL instances--I'm sure Black Air HQ, wherever that was, had backups, but in the short-term, this'd do.

[Miranda Weaver]

Once that was done, she started poking around to see what she could find out about the Miranda project.

[Narrator]

The Miranda Project was apparently phase two in Project Tempest, designed to nullify a great deal of what they termed as "Mutant Apologists" in everyday life.

Phase One, "Ariel", was marked as almost complete--the acquisition of metamorphic material that could be remotely controlled and infiltrate key posts, both in the UK and elsewhere at large. This was apparently the kidnapping of Will--the idea was to have deep sleeper agents in key places, including Xaviers University. There was a list of people and organizations infiltrated; sadly, that was classified.

Phase Two, "Miranda", was to acquire and use telepathic and precognitive surveillance techniques to further their eventual end goal.

Phase Three, "Caliban"...was classified.

[Miranda Weaver]

Miranda tried to commit what information was there to memory before fishing around to see what else she could find.

[Narrator]

There was a lot of information about Project Ariel in the database--a lot of the specifics about radio waves and things like that, though it was all very technical.

There was also more information about the actual mechanics of Project Miranda--how they would keep her alive, how they would attempt to keep her comfortable. It was clear Quentin had considered Miranda's comfort and relative security a high priority.

[Miranda Weaver]

"Doesn't make him any less of a monster," she mumbled as she looked for a way to send the Ariel data somewhere useful.

[Narrator]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the sub was operating in a form of radio silence--no transmissions out.

[Miranda Weaver]

Her avatar morphed again, back into the image of the Archivist as she scanned the pages, doing her best to record as much of the information as she could. It certainly wouldn't be perfect, but it would be better than nothing. As soon as that was done, she tried to get some sort of status on how the invasion was going.

[Narrator]

Alerts were blaring--it looks like a lot of water was coming on to the lowest level of the submarine, and an indicator said that they were probably headed up an elevator shaft.

There was some kind of timer going--a countdown of some sort? It was set to about 15 minutes...no indication of what it was, though.

[Miranda Weaver]

Hearing the snarking over the PA system, Miranda projected her mind out, reaching for Aria's. Hey, little sister. You reading me?

[Aria Nyx]

"Oh thank goodness, you're alright! We're headed your way." comes the response, relief drowning out her reaction to the 'little sister'.

[Miranda Weaver]

I've locked myself in some sort of operating/tech room. I've got sort of computer access, but not much clearance. There's some sort of countdown timer here. If I had to hazard a guess, it has to do with jettisoning the lower decks, which means you have about 15 minutes before they cut you loose. Then she added, I suppose it could also be a self destruct, but try not to think about that.

[Aria Nyx]

"Don't worry, not gonna come to that. Do you have access to some kind of map?"

[Miranda Weaver]

Checking. Please hold. She worked to pull up a map of the facility.

[Narrator]

There was a map! MIranda was locked into the "Surgical Operating Room", which was located on the deck immediately below the main bridge. It was on the same floor that Ryan and everyone were busting into, only at the opposite side of the ship.

[Aria Nyx]

"You do know that's not how it works, right?" Aria responds, seeming vaguely amused.

[Miranda Weaver]

You say that like I care how it works. Okay, you're on the opposite side of the ship from me. I'm in the Surgical... you know what? Here. She fed Aria the mental image of the map with her fingers pointing at Miranda's location and the elevator shaft.

[Aria Nyx]

"You should. It's important. And thank you. We'll have you out of there in no time, promise."

And after a short pause. "Over and out, 'Big Sis'."

[Miranda Weaver]

Miranda smiled and walked over to the door to the room, trying to get a sense of what lay on the other side.

[Narrator]

A hallway!

[Miranda Weaver]

She used her power to keep watch, looking out for the bad guys and waiting for the good guys to show up.

[Quentin Watson]

Miranda. The intercom came on on a private channel.

There is an emergency escape ladder on the bulkhead behind you. It leads to the bridge. Please use it immediatley.

[Miranda Weaver]

"You've given me absolutely no reason to trust you," she said, even though she still glanced in the direction he indicated.

[Quentin Watson]

Have I given you a reason to think I want to kill you?

[Miranda Weaver]

"No, you'd rather use me and keep me in an existence where I'd be better off dead, wired into a machine," she said.

[Quentin Watson]

I disagree with the premise of "better off dead." We can argue that once you climb the ladder.

[Miranda Weaver]

"We can argue it now, because I'm not climbing your ladder."

[Narrator]

I'm about to be VERY busy...climb the ladder. NOW.

[Miranda Weaver]

"No," Miranda said in that defiant tone that only teenagers can muster.

[Narrator]

You will be punished for disobedience.

*click*

[Miranda Weaver]

"Unlikely," she said, taking glass bottles and other assorted sharp and/or breakables from the surgical materials and scattering them at the bottom of the ladder.

[Aria Nyx]

Outside Aria's shouting voice echoes through the corridor.

"Miranda? Miranda!"

[Miranda Weaver]

"Prove it's you!" She calls back, "He's riding around in a Will-suit, so he could look like anyone."

[Aria Nyx]

"Just open the dang door. And stop calling me little sister."

[Miranda Weaver]

"Yes. And no." She said, unlocking the door.

[Aria Nyx]

She ducks inside and closes the door behind her. "Everybody else is down the hall, fighting off Will." she says, pulling Miranda into a hug.

[Miranda Weaver]

"There's something going with his mind. It's glowing, or at least it looks that way in the Astral," she said, hugging Aria back.

[Aria Nyx]

"It's possible Watson has a telepath on board somewhere controlling him, though if there is he's hiding it well. There's gotta be some kind of control room on board we can get to..."