6795/oceanic neighbor

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oceanic neighbor
Date of Scene: 04 July 2021
Location: Kadesh Base
Synopsis: Aspen meets Adam and they resolve to find out what she is. TO BE CONTINUED
Cast of Characters: Adam Brashear, Aspen Matthews




Adam Brashear has posed:
Adam Brashear is hard at work doing observations and experiments. Honestly he's just trying to keep Busy, distracting himself When he's not on the job as Blue Marvel he's down here in Kadesh Base doing experiments that come to mind no real goals or purpose other than keeping his mind busy in this deep solitude at the botton of the sea.

Kadesh base is a secret labratory only known to Atlantis and only to easy tensions and assure them this base is not threat to them or their sovereignty.

Aspen Matthews has posed:
It's been a lot of new revelations and shocks. It's time for vacation. Aspen, obsessed as she has been with her job, has accrued a lot of accumulated leave, sniping a few days here and there for extended surf time in the right seasons, but not ever really any massive blocks.

Which is why her assistant gaped at the leave form she'd filled out taking a whole month off. This was quite literally unheard of.

"Are you OK, Dr. ... I mean, Aspen?" "Yes, quite. Just want to go on a bit of a trip." "Surfing?" "No, this is underwater." "Oh, scuba diving! Some reef or other?" "Something like that."

And now Aspen finds herself more than 4 kilometres underwater, testing the limits of her newfound abilities. It was a long swim to the middle of nowhere in the Pacific, a swim in which she found herself moving faster and faster until naval destroyers would have a hard time keeping up, even at water skiing speed.

Old joke. Not very good. And doesn't work if you don't have people on oars. Whatever.

The half-suit isn't really much use at these depths. Any human, even with breathing equipment that could survive these depths at these pressures and temperatures, would be dead of hypothermia. Still waters suck heat. Aspen, however, finds herself comfortable as she navigates the invisible currents she can reach out and feel, somehow. Feel until ...

What's this? She was expecting silt. Maybe rock outcroppings. Possibly smokers if near a volcanic vent. Not...

Inside the station motion sensors sound the alert: something larger than the usual small creatures that typically float around these depths is approaching. Fast.

Adam Brashear has posed:
The security alerts shake Adam out of his trance like focus on the complex physics equations he was working through. "I swear if its another Squid I'm gonna smash the alarms this time."
Adam gets up and rubs his eyes to look clearly he glances at the monitors and notices a human like shape. "someone from atlantis? but what would they want? I havent done anything to get their attention." He presses a button and talks into an intercom "hello may I help you?"

Aspen Matthews has posed:
And ... of COURSE it spotted her. Probably some kind of military base here, like the one she was revealed in. Maybe the same people even! Though ... no. This didn't look like the technology of the place she was.

Aspen stops.

"Uh..."

Great start, Aspen. Bravo.

"Hello?"

SPECTACULAR! Greatest opening speech ever!

"What place is this?"

We're beyond sarcasm now and into the realm of contempt.

"I wasn't expecting to find something here."

Adam Brashear has posed:
Adam's expression is now full of confusion. "Well I wasnt expecting to be found. this is Kadesh Base Its a research facility. Who are you and How did you find this olace if you didnt know it was here?"

Aspen Matthews has posed:
"I just kind of stumbled ... over it?"

There's something absolutely surreal about floating in the water at crushing depths with over four kilometres of weight pushing upon her from all sides and having this conversation.

"I'm ... just call me Aspen? I was taking a holiday off and ... swam ... this is sounding really stupid now that I say it out loud."

There's a sound in the water that should be impossible. A sigh.

"Let's pretend I didn't say something so stupid. I'm Dr. Aspen Matthews of the Oceanographic Institute of Metropolis University. I'm on something of a sabbatical. I came across this place by accident."

Yeah. That explains EVERYTHING!

Adam Brashear has posed:
Adam shakes his head. "Would you like to come in and remove some of the awkwardness of this conversation?"

Adam is usually extremely hesitant to let anyone in the base but this woman doesn't seem like a threat at least not one that Blue Marvel would be worried about. "Go tot he doors Dr. Matthews I'll let you in and drain the airlock so you can enter."

Aspen Matthews has posed:
Aspen swims up to the door, patiently waiting for the cycle to complete while mentally asking herself why she's doing it.

The answer is obvious.

Curiosity.

What kind of place is this and why is it here? What kind of threat is it, given the nature of other places she's been in...

When the water finally drains, subconsciously, without even thinking of what it might say, she causes it to completely drain from her body and clothing, leaving everything bone dry.

"Do you have any kind of slippers or such?" she asks, looking down at her bare feet. "I wasn't expecting to be visiting so I left my crocs at home."

Adam Brashear has posed:
This would be the first time she would get to see the voice from the intercom. Adam Brashaer a tall muscluar black man, very distinguished looking seemingly mid-40's Brown eyes black hair with hints of graying arounf the edges. He's in in t-shirt and shorts. He too wasnt expecting visitors he hurriedly puts on a lab coat.

Adam grab a pair of house shoes he's not wearing. "of course here thought they might be a little big for you" He hands them over and offer his hand "Dr Aspens Matthews, I am Dr Adam Brashaer nice to meet you and welcome to Kadesh Base the premiere center for the study of particle physics, specializing in anti matter among other things"

Aspen Matthews has posed:
Well that certainly causes ... an expression. A sort of mixed expression of surprise. And interest.

"Just call me Aspen, please. Dr. Matthews makes me feel ancient." Aspen's eyes flick around the base, taking it in. "You're ... studying antimatter and particle physics. Here."

It's not a question. Not by wording. Not by intonation. But let's face it, it's a question. Not that she's in any position to be asking questions about oddities given that she's this deep without protective gear more substantial than a half-sleeved/legged wetsuit.

"Well, I'm very sorry then to intrude. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important. I was just passing by and spotted this place..." She felt it, really. You can't see in the water at these depths. It's why most life forms have no eyes or have vestigial blind ones. "...and got curious."

Adam Brashear has posed:
"Well then Aspen I guess you can call me Adam." He step aside and lets Aspen take full stock of the place. "Thisis a secret place where I have been studying working with anti matter for the past 60 or so years."

Adam looks this admittly very attractive young woman over with mild surprise. "You didn't know it was here? I had assumed you were from atlantis. that would be one of the very few reasons you would be down here dressed like that and not show any ill effects of the pressure. I had to check in with the Kingdoms of atlantis when we put the lab here. just to make sure the neighbors knew we meant no harm and we would keep to ourselves and not disturb things."

Aspen Matthews has posed:
Sixty. Years. OK, sounds like this 'Adam' has a secret or ten of his own. Fair enough.

"Atlantis?" Aspen decides to ask, not bothering to go on the 60 years thing. "Like the king Namor or Aquaman? No, I'm not from there."

Beat.

"I'm from San Diego, mostly."

It shows on her face that she recognizes how stupid that sounds when she says it aloud. Still she bulldogs through.

"Well, not from there. It's where I grew up."

Very helpful.

"I've been told I could live there, though, if I like, because... well..."

She shrugs down at herself, passing a hand over her perfectly dry torso. "I mean, I'm practically one of them, right? But no, apparently I'm something different."

EXTREMELY helpful.

"Mostly I'm down here trying to figure stuff out, like what I am and stuff."

Adam Brashear has posed:
Adam chuckles "well I'm from chicago, Southside born and raised. "

Adam looks her over again not in a crass way in a very analytical expression. "Like them but different you say?"

He rubs his chin pondering things. "well its not my main focus of study but you're here and I am a scientist perhaps I could help if you want? If not thats fine I can offer you some coffee or a snack and we can chat"

Aspen Matthews has posed:
"I'm a scientist too," Aspen laughs, relaxing a bit in the odd situation. "Marine biology, in fact. I can study myself if worst comes to worst. Except ... no animal on Earth does this."

She holds out an arm that is now made entirely out of water, prodtruding from out her wetsuit, attached to her body like her arm, looking the same shape and size as the arm that was there used to be. Just ... transparent and clearly liquid, with nothing inside, not even bone.

The arm returns to flesh and blood.

"I'm not human," she says quietly. "Which is a bit of a shock to find out about yourself in your twenties, don't you think? So I came out here to learn and experiment and think."

Adam Brashear has posed:
"now that is very interesting you can transform into water like a water elemental explains why you were able to swim doing here and probably why you were so dry when you walked in. Thank you for that by the way. "Adam says with smile his mind trying to figure out what she is exactly.

"definitely not atlantean, at least not that I know of... hmm...in your twnties you said? thats when these abilities manifested? perhaps a late blooming mutant or and inhuman? Thpught I'm sure that would have been easy enought to verify through blood work."

Adam gesture to a chair offering Aspen a seat. "well If we are sharing are talents I might as well let you know I'm the hero known as The Blue Marvel. and among my abilities is I have special vision I can see engery and the make up of things. I am my own electron microscope so to speak. if you like I can look you over and see what exactly is going on when you use your abilities."