A real Quandry [ Open ]

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

Jaime had taken the time to wander down into the city, something he did most days as spending a lot of time in a conjured world in the over-crowded Sensoriums didn't really appeal to him. He found himself drawn, at least today, to the Statuary and its baffling array of sculpture and monuments. Fascinating stuff, really. He stood at the base of Superboy's statue, occasionally flicking the switch back and forth.

Nope.

Nothing happening there. He frowned and wrinkled his nose, turning to look over the other statues before moving on to flick at the switch beneath Elfangor.

Still nothing. He moved over again, this time to George Washington. Another futile flickering of the switch.

What did this all mean? And more importantly, what did these switches do?

Comments

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"You know what this place needs? The Clapper." a voice called out. Descending from the statue of Superboy on a webline was Spider-Man. For the most part, he had been keeping himself busy, but restlessness became boredom and he found himself wandering to this area. "I mean, all these switches and nothing coming on? One of those little things and I'm sure the whole place'll light up!"

Leaping from his line, he landed by Jaime. "So, what's eating you, kid?"

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure they're light switches," Jaime replied laconically as he flipped another switch. He glanced over at Spider-Man, grinned.

"Hey, another bug-themed guy. Good to see I'm not alone in that department," he laughed, continuing, "but as for what's eating me? I'm just trying to find out more about the ship, more about the city. Trying to understand what this place is really for."

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"There IS a lot about this ship we don't know about, isn't there?" Spidey said, looking around. Frankly, he'd love to focus on that. Keep his mind off of the fact Mary Jane wasn't around any more. Again.

"I'm kinda surprised more people haven't poked their noses more into this. Then again, from what I understand, 'Big Sister' doesn't like us to do that."

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Quite a bit." Though Jaime had the feeling he knew more than some people, thanks to the notes he had left for himself. That was still weird to think about.

"Good thing I don't really care what she doesn't like, then, huh?"

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"Wow, you got guts." Spidey said, grinning under his mask. "Sounds like, though, you've been poking around for awhile."

He'd ask about what he's found, but there's the lingering doubt he'd spill. With something like how the ship acts, why not?

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"I just do the right thing, that's all," Jaime replied.

"And I have been. Sort of. This is my latest project." He gestures to the statues around them.

"Trying to figure out what the heck these are for."

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"Heh, don't we all." Looked like Jaime had a good head on his shoulders.

Spider-Man looked over the collection of statues and, though the power of the Iron Spider costume, noted the various switches around. So far, nothing was triggering his Spider-Sense, so they seemed harmless.

"Hmm... interesting." he uttered, taking note of a few of them. "What have you done with them so far?"

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"So far? Just toggled them at random. Problem is, that that hasn't done anything. For all I know there could be a specific order or number of times you have to flip a switch for anything to happen. But there are so many possibilities that actually trying them all isn't really. . .um. . .doable." Jaime frowned as he looked around at the surrounding statues again.

"There has to be something here or elsewhere that'd tell us what to do."

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"Curiouser and curiouser..." Spidey mumbled. There had to be a pattern of some sort, right? They just had to figure out what that pattern was.

"You really think Stacy would tell us?" he uttered. "I mean, we're supposed to be these great heroes and all, and yet..." he let the thought trail off as he looked back at the statues.

"Maybe if we flip the switches of the ones that are here... or were here. I mean..." he pointed to the statues of Superman and Superboy. "...they're here and..." he pointed to Elfangor's statue. "...that one WAS here."

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Maybe?" He walked over to Superman and Superboy, flicking each switch before turning back towards Elfangor and flipping the switch there. He stood back, waited for a moment or two.

". . .nope. And I don't think she'd tell us, but there has to be a clue or a hint or something, right?"

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

Spidey resisted the urge to react to the failure. Not even his Spider-Sense picked up anything changing.

"You're right." he said, crossing his arms. "There was another crew here, right? Ones before us. There's things here that we haven't found yet, especially with the City. Maybe they've left something there."

Reflexively, he leaned back and tapped a finger on his arm. "But, where to start?"

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Maybe they did. But I'm not sure where we would even start to look. I mean, I got lucky, I guess. I found something an alternate version of myself left for me before, but even that isn't much to go on. Do you think the previous crew might have saved their logs or notes somewhere? Maybe the library?" He scratched his chin.

"It's worth a shot, right?"

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"It's worth a shot!" Spidey said, a little more hopeful. "Stacy can't be that thorough with everything, right? But, right now that would be our best bet."

And frankly, the sooner they figured out a lot about this ship, the better...!

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Let's head up there, then. See what we can find." There's a pause as he looked at Spidey.

"Uh, I'm Jaime, by the way."

[noboothneeded.livejournal.com]

"What's up?" Clark asked, looking at the switched curiously.

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

Jaime glances at the new arrival, surprised he hadn't noticed him earlier.

"Ah. Just checking out these switches."

[noboothneeded.livejournal.com]

"Any particular reason for it?" He asked, genuinely curious.

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Because I'm curious and I want to know more about this place." That seemed a good enough reason to Jaime. He shrugged, toggled another switch in a futile gesture.

"Hm. Darn."

[noboothneeded.livejournal.com]

"If there's some kind of puzzle to this, just flipping them willy-nilly isn't going to work. We'd need some kind of plan." Clark said, looking around.

"I'm Clark, by the way. Clark Kent."

[tubeborn.livejournal.com]

Clicking noises.

Mewtwo opened his eyes, reaching out with his mind. Someone else was in here. That was unusual. He'd taken a liking to this place because it was often empty. Being the solitary sort he was, the silence greatly appealed.

There. Someone else was here, and Mewtwo reached out to them with his thoughts.

<< Hello. >>

He was perhaps a tad defensive about it.

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

Jaime reeled back for a moment before Khaji Da automatically threw up the mental defenses, blocking Mewtwo from accessing anything but the barest of Jaime's surface thoughts. He put a hand to his temple, spoke out-loud since he couldn't exactly thought-speak.

"Hello. Who is this?"

[tubeborn.livejournal.com]

The sudden flurry of defense surprised Mewtwo, but he realized it shouldn't. It seemed many of the beings here, even the humans, had some form of psychic awareness.

Luckily, though, he wasn't entirely blocked off. Without any way in, he couldn't have replied at all.

<< I am Mewtwo. >>

The catlike Pokémon slowly, meticulously uncoiled himself from his meditative position on one of the plinthsf. He'd been sitting at the foot of a statue of some otherworldly beast that he had never seen before.

<< Who are you and why are you here? >>

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"I'm Jaime Reyes." He watched Mewtwo cooly, though Khaji was rambling about threat assessments, weapon choice, and so on.

"I'm just here to look at the statues. I didn't meant to disturb you."

[tubeborn.livejournal.com]

<< This place is usually empty, >> the clone said. << These are of no interest to anyone else. What do you want with them? >>

He continued to look at Jaime suspiciously. He didn't think that Jaime was a threat, just that this was odd and demanded explanation.

And, to be honest, it was just that Mewtwo was still bad a the socializing thing and that somebody had come into his SANCTUM OF SOLITUDE and it put him on the defensive.

[flunkingspanish.livejournal.com]

"Hey dude."

Oh look Jaime, it's your cyborgorized best friend! Paco wandered over and prodded at another one of the switches a couple times. "Could be worse, I guess. The switches could make 'em come to life and rampage across the ship."

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"That would be kind of awkward, man. Like. Super awkward. And unfun." Jaime smiled, giving Paco a slap on the (organic) shoulder.

"How you been, man?"

[flunkingspanish.livejournal.com]

"I'd say that it's entirely possible that Stacy's hobby is collecting awkward and unfun things, but I have yet to find that dance class that the school made us all take back in third grade," Paco replied with a grin.

"I've been okay, I guess," he said, making a face. "I've been planning a party, but it looks like we're gonna have to put it off a bit, what with the stuff that's going on. How about you?"

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Well. As long as that dance class isn't here, we're home free, aren't we?" Jaime chuckled, flicking the switch again a couple times, just for the heck of it.

"The party is getting delayed? That's no fun. I was looking forward to it, too."

[flunkingspanish.livejournal.com]

"I dunno, maybe. I'm not sure anyone would be in much of a mood to party, what with everyone in Medical freaking out," Paco said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm worried about Superboy, you know? Apparently he totally freaked out and went on a rampage through the City. I don't think he hurt anyone too badly, but it's massively weird."

[azulescarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Aw, jeeze. . .What happened? Anyone know why he freaked out?" Jaime frowned, turning around to lean against the statue as he spoke to Paco.

[flunkingspanish.livejournal.com]

"They don't know yet," Paco said, shaking his head. "As soon as we do, and we know how to fix it, I'll throw the party, but I just don't think anyone would appreciate it now." He scratched the back of his neck. "At least not the party I've been planning. A different kind of party might be worth it, though."

Hanging together would mean that everyone could keep an eye on anyone else who looked like they were getting too depressed, right?