Agenda
Episode Nine
"Chances Are"
Adventure - Aberrant - Aeon Trinity
Romance is in the news. Everyone is talking about the unexpected love story between Jennifer "Slider" Landers and Anthony "Quarterback" Towers. Interviews left and right ask about their plans, their special moments, and their dreams. But just as quickly as people celebrate their nova love team, they frown on the "Null Manifesto" that has been released by a group calling itself the Teragen. Their leader, a man called Divis Mal, proclaims all Novas to be ABOVE human laws and concerns, and this of course sparks much fear. Some believe it was in response to the Zurich Accord which was passed after Nova issues were brought to the lime light when both Portman and Towers considered running for office.
In Rayner Corporation, members of Project Utopia visit to demonstrate the use of Eufiber to replace the copper wire infrastructure that the internet is running upon. Promising a 700% increase in efficiency, the group asks for Rayner to show support in the undertaking when they propose it to the government, with Utopia covering 95% of the expenses, and stating they simply plan to make "the information highway more effective. How it is used is still up to the people." Switchboard is concerned over this becoming simply a new avenue for crime. It is bad enough Switchboard has been receiving junk emails though the day. She calculates the sudden boom in the use of this "OpNet" can lead to law enforcement "trying to catch up" with crime. She sees that if the OpNet were to be allowed, however, be it in China or any other company, that other company would have an unprecedent boost in its production adn economic strength. Richard Rayner shoots down the idea of supporting the project, stating Utopia's lack of true foresight in the matter.
On the drive home, Towers and Slider are harassed by another car. As they try to amicably settle things, an accident instead happens and Towers carries one of those fatally injured to the nearest hospital. In his absence, however, he fails to see the car that nearly strikes Slider.
Rayner gives Congressman Laurel a call, and learns that Utopia has not reached out to them regarding the OpNet idea. He learns that the President is willing to speak with him, and he decides to pay them a visit. Before he leaves, however, he gets into a discussion with Switchboard and Mary Rose about whether or not Rayner Corporation needs to do more. And how important it is to follow the law and stay within its parameters. Mary Rose vanishes again, but does blurt out something about this not being what was ideal.
Quarterback returns to see Team Tomorrow already assisting in the car crash area. Slider and Quarterback decide to let them handle things, but as they make to leave, Persuader uses his domination powers to force Slider to stop. Enraged, Quarterback throws a punch at the guy, and only through Caestus Pax' immense strength and speed does the punch get blocked. In a five block radius, all glass shatters from the sound of the impact. Pax calmly asks the Quarterback to just leave.
Rayner's meeting with the President introduces him to a Gabriel Melchior, who seems to be a religious leader of something called The Church of the Immanent Escheaton. The President openly asks Rayner to consider supporting this next year's run for office, and admits that while he does not trust Novas, he does know Rayner is a very influential ally. As Rayner considers things, he learns of what just happened in the freeway, and calls for a team meeting.
The meeting has Rayner talking to the others about the politics surrounding the corporation. A call from Justin Laragione, the CEO of Project Utopia, had him thinking. The call supposedly was to apologize for Utopians visiting him, when the OpNet project was not to be marketed to the U.S. at all. Rayner still feels the call is all about smoke and mirrors and just thanks him for the time. When the meeting covers Utopia and the fact that Portman plans to try to run AGAIN for President in 2008, Mary Rose (who has reappeared) admits that Project Utopia's roots are that of a Gentleman's club known as the Aeon Society for Gentlemen. Switchboard shares her grandmother was a member, and Rayner opts to have Switchboard, Quarterback and Mary Rose visit to find out more.
Back in the 1960s, Scarlet learns that Aeon Society for Gentlemen was being disbanded. Even the Sleepwalker and the German have their bags backed. The events of the World War had struck Max in some degree. And the appearance of his "children" worry the others as well. But Max insists the time of Aeon is over, and ushers them all to go. Scarlet walks off, and sees Mary Rose leaving with Whitley Styles. The Sleepwalker hands his mask to the German, and vanishes into the shadows. And the German bids Max a final goodbye, only to be told, "I know you are not him," by Max. As Adolf removes his guise, Max admits he was aware of Adolf's desire to get the Gravity Chamber that his father, Nicklaus had Dixon build. When Adolf admits Max is correct, Max reveals he is sitting on the chamber itself. Power dies in New York, and suddenly the house is gone. Gone in space. Gone in time.
The three meet Candy, who appears to be far younger than her age should suggest. Her beauty is still unmistakable, and her sassiness still fresh. She flirts with Quarterback a bit, but there's no denying her sense of security as portions of her home have pressure sensors that activate laser-guided guns. They discuss Aeon Society and Candy admits she is not sure what happened to the Mercers as time progressed. Before they could discuss more, however, someone shoots her from outside the house. With a head wound, Quarterback once again transforms into living steel, then carries her off to find the nearest hospital. Switchboard uses her calculations to deduce where the assassin was, and then Transmits herself through the power cables to chase after him. Mary Rose vanishes again, stress taking its toll on her.The Quarterback brings Candy to the nearest hospital, who quickly rush to treat her at the Emergency Room. He notices an eccentric old man with a walking stick approaching him, and the old man asks him for directions to "his wife." Handling the Quarterback a jury-rigged phone, the old man thanks the Quarterback and heads into the hospital. The Quarterback calls Rayner, and Switchboard, but neither answer. He looks up at what everyone else outside the hospital are staring at, and sees a massive gray cloud just above the hospital. He flies to try to approach it, but a special cannon discharges, and Quarterback is flung nearly five miles into the light woods in the distance. As he tries to fly back in time, the cloud parts to reveal a massive sky fortress, and this breaks into five separate ships that float away. He rushes to the Emergency Room and finds the empty bed where Candy had been left behind. A sign on the wall "Thanks them for keeping his wife safe." The message is signed M.D.
Switchboard brings the beat down on the assassin, whom he slams out of his motorcycle with a force field of electricity. As she approaches him to check on his condition, the man discharges a pistol at the ground in front of him. The bullet ricochet's off then slams into Switchboard's chest, which flings her backwards into her own force field. Switch is knocked out herself, but before her eyes close, she sees the assassin remove the mask and reveal The German underneath.
Rayner receives a guest. Floating outside his window is Caestus Pax, who asks him permission to step inside. The two discuss things, with Pax at times asking Rayner if he realizes how important their decisions are in what is happening. When Rayner admits he was wondering about incarceration of the Nova criminals they catch, he tries to Disrupt Pax' powers to demonstrate what he thinks the prisons will need. This, instead, exposes a major secret of Team Tomorrow's strongest hero. Where Pax stood is now an 11-year old boy by the name of Shelby Eisenfaust. The boy admits he and Pax switch places, and when asked why they are trusting Rayner with this revelation, Pax admits to Rayner that he was sent from the future by "a Wizard" and that he is actually a Satisfactory Intelligence that was sent with some nanotech to change the past and save the future. In the future, it seems, a horde of Aberrants are returning from a place called Eden. And Pax was sent back in hopes of stopping Divis Mal from gaining followers. The Wizard sent him back through "a Hole" and had hoped to make a difference. Rayner, Pax admits, is a genetic link to The Wizard.
And in the far future, Erik Langley and the German complete programming a data chip with the Satisfactory Intelligence. They consider it the second to the last hope of stopping the fleet from destroying the Earth. The German mentions he will shunt it through the Hole and if it doesn't work, then they have only the Inspired as the final chance.
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