The End

[Ron Caliburn]

A some of you know, I'm in Texas at the moment. I came down here to help PSC27 with an investigation he was doing about weather control technology creating the unusual number of hurricanes we saw last year.

Unfortunately, that investigation has turned tragically fatal.

Last night, PSC27 and I went to a meeting with some grand high priestess of some kind who had ties to all those who could use magic to manipulate weather in the Gulf Coast Area. PSC27 was working on the theory that the group of them, together should have been able to prevent all that hurricane nastiness. So he wanted to find out why and how they had failed to see if that brought him any leads.

Personally I thought he was grasping at straws in an attempt to get out from behind his desk once more.

We ended up at the high priestess's compound a little before sunset. It was a fairly nice looking place. Compared to the other compounds I've been to it felt much more relaxed, peaceful and contemplative.

Needless to say I was bored stiff.

PSC and I were lead to a meeting room that lacked furniture, though it did have an abundance of pillows and rugs. I leaned up against a back wall to keep an eye out for trouble while we waited for the high priestess.

How she became a high priestess, I don't really understand. When she came into the room my jaw dropped for two reasons. First, she didn't look old enough to drive. Second, her costume didn't have much in the way of fabric. Perhaps the combination is an attempt to test to see if the followers are keeping their thoughts pure.

Anyway, she settled down among the pillows and got to talking with PSC27. It went on for quite a while. I mostly tuned it out, but I did catch a few little points here and there.

It seems that back last May, most of those in the know in the Gulf Coast area felt a strange energy they had never felt before. This energy was constant and regular. It didn't ebb and flow like natural or magical energy cycles do. Many of her followers also developed horrible nightmares and visions of death and destruction. Some of them went insane, some of them became suicidal.

Then came the first hurricane. It grew early and quickly, picking up strength faster than seemed proper. Then suddenly the energy went away and that hurricane withered and died. This pattern repeated itself several times during the hurricane season. This bizarre energy would appear, a hurricane would rapidly develop, the energy would disappear, and the hurricane would wither.

Then came Katrina. Unlike the other hurricanes, Katrina was fully formed before the energy appeared (right after it crossed Florida and entered the gulf). When the energy appeared Katrina surged and roared with power.

Apparently she and her followers tried whatever rituals they normally did which have weakened hurricanes before, but to no effect. Because their magic energy ebbed and flowed, while the strange energy remained constant, they were unable to overcome its power. Katrina continued to grow and get stronger, turning towards the coast.

But the energy didn't turn off like it had the last times. Instead it stayed on longer, by a day or so, until Katrina's rains were already falling on New Orleans. It finally cut off, but too late, the high priestess and her followers, already exhausted were only able to reduce Katrina's fury slightly.

PSC27 just seemed to accept it all like you'd just informed him the sky was blue. He had an answer about all of this and he started to share.

Apparently, he'd found a lead about a research facility somewhere in the Southern states. He was unable to find out exactly what happened inside the facility, but he was able to find, of all things, records from the power company about the power they had supplied the facility with. Apparently this research facility had been using extreme amounts of power, but intermittently throughout the hurricane season. The dates that the power use ramped up considerably matched the dates that the strange energy the priestess and her followers noted appeared. Likewise, the dates that the power drain cut off corresponded to the dates that the priestess and her followers noticed the strange energy disappearing.

Unfortunately, he never got the chance to tell us where the facility exactly was.

Like I said, I was leaning over against a wall, taking it all in. I was looking at PSC27's back and the high priestess's front. A little glimmer caught my eye on the back of PSC27's head. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but my instincts took over anyway.

"DOWN!" I yelled and made a lunge to knock over PSC27's wheelchair.

Just as I touched the wheelchair the window glass shattered.

Myself, PSC27 and his wheelchair ended up in a heap on the ground.

When I looked up, the priestess's followers had made a cordon around her and were rushing her out of the room, Secret Service style. I don't think she was hit, my warning had been in time for her.

Unfortunately, I was too late to help PSC27. Whatever they shot him with, it had entered the back of his skull and took the front half of it off.

The priestess's folks did the best they could, though there was nothing really they could do. I gave them the time they needed to clean up their stuff and get their stories straight before I called 911.

I'll be stuck here a few days, making sure the body gets taken care of right. I've contacted the consulate and what not. If any of you in our British chapters are able to get in contact with his family, it would be nice.

Sorry this tale didn't have a happy ending.

[Wolf Brutscher]

I'm rely sorry to hear that Ron I will ask my grandfather
to pray for his spirit in the medicine loge.

[AdamaGeist]

Anyone who has read my comments in Agency Voice will probably be surprised by what I am about to say here. I've made every possible point to remind you all to use Ocham's Razor when it comes to dealing with the paranormal. More oft than not, the simple answers are the best.

In this case, I'm afraid that it's not that easy. I damn well wish PSC27 had bothered to share his information with us publicly.

There are certain ways to change energy from one wavelength to another. None of them are easy, and most of them are too complex to be viable for large-scale use. The one or two that actualy could be viable come with massive consequences of their own at that rate of conversion. Introducing so much energy in a localised area... The possiblity of a massive breach in regular space is massive, to say the least.

Which, in the end, was why I never brought this end of the subject up in the original thread. I did not belive anyone would be so crazed as to develop such a device, let alone run it. Ron, if you can get in contact with PSC's people, try and get any notes he might have about where this is being done. It has to be shut down before they start it back up again. A hurricane is the least of our concerns out of this.

[KonThaak]

I, too, will pray for him to find rest... I'll hold a short vigil tonight in his honor. I don't have the luxury to hold it all night, and I didn't know him well enough for much more anyway, but this is the second time I've had to stand by as innocents suffered, just since becoming active on this board...

If I weren't tied down, I can't help but think I could've helped prevent this.

You say you're sorry this didn't have a happy ending... I say I'm sorry you had to bear this guilt. I don't know which way you're heading from there, but if you do happen to pass through my neck of the woods, I can guarantee you that you'll have a warm and comfortable place to stay, and a decent meal or two before you leave...

If there's anything more I can do to help, lemme know.

[Ron Caliburn]

Adama: I don't pretend to understand half of what you are saying, but if rogue hurricanes are a minor consequence, then I hate to imagine the major stuff.

I managed to secure PSC's laptop computer and blackberry before the police arrived - but I ain't a hacker and he has them passworded. If there is any information to be had, it's in there. I also don't know who PSCs people are over in the UK, anybody on the boards from that side of the pond who can help will be greatly appreciated.

I do know the facility is in the southern states and is hooked up to a public utility. I suspect it's government - mostly because if PSC was able to learn this stuff, I'm sure the government can as well. If the place still exists then the government has to be wanting it to exist.

It was also a pretty professional hit, two bullets, two targets, simultaneous shots. The priestess was able to move in time with my warning, but PSC, stuck in the wheel chair, was not.

KT: That's a tempting offer, I know I need a vacation in the worst way. Unfortunately, being out in the stix right now, I have to wait until Monday to make contact with the coroner, do a body ID and start the process to get PSC back home to his family - whoever they are. Then I have to swing by my shop because I've had a request to make a few of my special toys for monster hunting boys.

WB: Thanks, I'm sure he would appreciate that.

[KonThaak]

Ron: Understood. Well, drop me a line if you do end up planning on dropping by...

Adama: Can we back up and slow down a bit? I think we're missing out on something...

I don't know of technology that's capable of altering the weather based on technology alone... I do know that there are people who mess with machines, giving them slightly supernatural traits, or making machines that can convert massive amounts of electricity into (to use Victor Lazlo's term for it) potential psychic energy...but I've never heard of anything being made that would allow for this kind of degree.

I'm not discounting anything... At this point, I won't say that the problem ISN'T purely technological...in which case, I've said before, and I'll say again, science will never cease to amaze me.

I do have my suspicions, however, that it isn't entirely technological, which could account for the lack of a living pulse that accompanies most magics that control weather...

At this point, we don't have enough information to really know what's going on. Which has me wondering...

Adama, I know you well enough to know you don't jump at shadows. What's got you so spooked?

[Ron Caliburn]

I'm getting a run around from the local authorities. They seem to be trying to keep things up their sleeve when it comes to the circumstances of PSC's death. Fortunately I have a trump card to play here. We'll see how the British consulate feels about some local coroner playing stash the stiff with one of their citizens.

On a related note, I went back to the scene to see what I could piece together. After a bit of looking I found the shooters' location. A bit of educated guesswork later I think they were firing a bolt action .338 rifle. Expensive gear, indicating someone has deep pockets.

They didn't leave me anything solid to work off of other than they were picked up by a vehicle off a road about two klicks away.

I think I was wrong about there being a bullet aimed for the priestess. They were only after PSC. There were two nearly simultaneous shots however. Only one was aimed at anybody. The other bullet was fired a fraction of a second before the one that nailed PSC to break the glass so to avoid any deflections.

The Priestesses people are friendly enough about the whole thing, I doubt they set it up - though I suspect they might have someone on the inside of their operations who tipped off the shooters. Only me, PSC and the Priestess' people knew the time and location of the meeting.

Hopefully the consulate will get something happening soon

[Ron Caliburn]

The consulate is dragging their heels on this whole business. Probably because PSC was in America under an alias.

I'm going to lean on the folks at the morgue and see if I can get any answers. I think I know how to motivate them properly.

[Wolf Brutscher]

Ron I am a U.S.marshal let me know if there is some one I can lean on for you.At lest to get them motivated if you know what in mean.Ill do my best to help from hear.

[Ron Caliburn]

I suspect someone with an official capacity to lean on them is doing the leaning. I fortunately was able to find some "leverage" prowling around downtown. I'll visit the morgue just before close.

[Wolf Brutscher]

Good hunting my friend keep sharp and stay safe.

[AdamaGeist]

It's not the weather that bothers me. Personaly, I could care less about the manipulation of a few storms. The planet will adapt, and probably ignore what people do.

To get the the technical side first, the easiest way to convert power is to take specialy prepared crystals, charged mysticaly to resonate on a pretanatural frequency. Then, when they are charged by natural means, the resonation they put out pours power into the area. Why isn't it realy viable for mass-production of power? Because the crystals CAN blow out, and you would need to make ALOT of them to make a major effect. Not somthing that can be done quickly, or even quietly. You'd need a large staff of mystics, on call 24/7, to replace breaking crystals like they were flash-tubes or lightbulbs.

On the other hand, certain metals can be set to do much the same. Also it's easier to mass produce the metal versions, even if it's too damn expensive to be worth it for small-scale operations. The problem with that side, which is what I belive was used by the people PSC were investigating... The problem is that the resonance that one uses with metal is not natural, in the least bit. The crystals will at least produce energy that fits in with the natural world.

There are two different problems then. First off, as most of you know, places that produce alot of energy draw supernatural attention. Add to that the fact that power surges of so-called 'PPE' can cause breaches in our reality, and you understand how that's a worry...

The second problem is one particular to the 'Metal' based resonance. It's not natural energy, and the effects it has on reality are significantly stronger. There is a much larger chance of it causing a breach, even when used in small quantities, and the damage it does to reality doesn't heal easily. It causes damage that can last for years, even decades. It can bring breaches that won't close without outside effort.

If a breach hasn't already occured at that location, it's just a matter of time before it happens. And when it DOES happen, it's going to take a significant effort to close it.

We have to find this location before they use it again.

[Faerie Chaser]

Ron,

I am sorry, I haven't gotten in touch with you sooner. I sorta went to pieces when I read the news. I know this is going to sound odd...But I knew PSC well enough to know his passwords, but here's the kicker...if you type in the wrong one it will wipe the harddrive clean. Plus the cam attached to the laptop is set to read my eyes.

He was my mintor, my father, and my friend...if he hadn't had adopted me at age 16 there's no telling what would have happened to me. I know, I am supposed to be laying low right now, but my god. I will PM you my address.

[Ron Caliburn]

You know, it helps to know what motivates people.

Before I headed over to the morgue I picked up my leverage. I found it hiding in a dumpster near a big box electronics store. If you know how to find 'em, you can get one of your very own under similar circumstances.

So I went to the Morgue, with my motivation in a pet carrier and had a talk with the morgue staff. They were pretty tight lipped, again. So I decided to use my motivation.

I grabbed a digital voice recorder off of their desk and slid it through the grill of the pet carrier.

"Oooh - pretty" came the raspy little voice and a few moments later the digital voice recorder came out in separate components.

The eyes on the morgue techs went wide.

I smiled and asked them again to tell me why there was such a hold up on PSC's body. They declined.

I undid the latch and reached into the pet carrier and pulled out my motivator.

If you haven't ever seen a gremlin before, even an immature one, their initial appearance can be quite a shock. If you are not ready for it, it's even worse.

The morgue techs were clearly quite nervous. Finally one of them got up his nerve. "W-what is that thing?"

"Baby Gremlin" I replied as matter-of-factly as I could. "Don't worry, you're perfectly safe. He only eats electronics, you know, things like radios, laptops, photo copiers . . ."

"Mmmmm- Xerox."

"If I drop him now, he'll be out of sight before we know it. Once he's hidden, you're never, ever going to find him. But you'll know he's there. None of those little gadgets you use to do your job will ever work right again.

"But it gets better. I don't know exactly how long you've got, but in a few months he'll grow to maturity. Then he stops being curious, he starts being mean. Your computers will be infected with viruses, your power tools will short out giving you nasty shocks, your entire data base will get wiped out and heaven help you if he figures out where you park your car."

"Vrrrroooom-vroom! BEEP!!! SMASH!! HE HE HE!!!"

"So, I can either let him go, or I can put him back in the cage."

They didn't even wait for me to put it back in the cage before they started talking.

Turns out some men in black paid a visit to the morgue before PSC's body even came in. They explained to the fellows in the morgue the consequences of any unauthorized information leaks and convinced the morgue techs to keep things quiet.

I smiled, thanked them and headed out.

"Uh, you left the cage."

"Don't worry, you've probably got a few minutes before it figures out how to pick the lock I suggest you figure something out."

I know it was petty, but PSC was a good guy and deserved better.

When I got back to my room, it had been obviously tossed. They were probably looking for PSC's stuff. Fortunately I stashed it in a locker when I realized I wasn't going to be able to access it. They obviously haven't figured out I've read from their playbook.

Fortunately FC, PSC mentioned you. Let's see what we can work out, check your PM.

[Ron Caliburn]

Update.

I'm on the move and so is PSC's information. Hopefully it's on the way to someone who can do something productive with it.

I decided it was time to get out of Dodge. I slipped the surveillance net and covered about 400 miles today. I doubt they will come after me, I know nothing more than I've already shared, and the laptop is already halfway across an ocean. These guys don't waste time on revenge, they will be moving to get their operation out of sight before we can get a look.

If there's a victory to be had about all this is that there will be a lull in the activities of their energy thingamajig.

Maybe enough for some of you smart folks to come up with a counter

[WonderingMind]

If you need some place to go to ground let me know, I know folks who can put you up anywhere from Tucson AZ up the Navajo rez or one of the AZ Apache rezes. Point of fact, I can have you hidden with one of the tribes that still live in the old ways up in the Superstition Mountains. They are the folks that keep the "lost" in the Lost Dutchman Mine.

[Ron Caliburn]

Thanks for the offer, but I have my own network of people that help me go to ground.

Besides, I know how these guys work. A killing complicates things, and they want to avoid complicating things. So they'd only come after me to kill me if me being alive posed further complications. I've already blown a whistle on their operation (with the limited information I have) and I've already passed the laptop on to PSC's peeps. Since I don't know a lot of the specifics about their project, I can be dismissed like he guy who left his weather station job to blame the yakuza. So I can't really do any more damage to them than I already have.

I just hope the person I sent the laptop too knows how to keep out of sight until they can make proper use of what's inside.

[WonderingMind]

This offer stands for any one needing to hide. While I am not Tribe, I have some influence among them. They are willing to help any one who seeks to keep the darkness at bay…

[Bowie]

Jeeze Ron I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Haven't been on the boards lately b/c of all the trouble with the bugs down hear. I think me and mine finally have things under control though. Let me know if we can help we should be hitting the road in a few days

[KonThaak]

Ron: Well, so much for that vacation I was offering... Lemme know if there's anything I can do. Thanks for buying us that time... From what Adama's insinuating, we could need it.

In regards to what Adama's said...

I've talked to him privately about what he's said...and I agree, the dangers involved here don't stop at just weather control.

The symptoms described here do point strongly towards Adama's theory. Between the energy usage that Ron described, and the lack of living magic pulsations that the priestess described, I don't see many other alternatives, other than a machine that processes electricity into supernatural energy.

To simplify what he said, basically, they manufactured a kind of "magic" generator, one that functions much like a nuclear generator. The difference is that instead of using radioactive materials, they use a combination of a certain kind of metal and electricity...and instead of generating electricity, they're generating supernatural energies.

To continue speaking in layman's terms, the energy conversion rates wouldn't be precise...and the excess energy just gathers. In a situation like this, there's a LOT of energy pooled in one place, unnaturally trapped there. The energy becomes kind of like sulphuric acid for reality.

There's a good possibility that this much energy could eat a hole in space, and there's no telling what could come crawling through that hole.

I believe many arcanists call such holes "rips in the fabric of time and space", or just simply "rifts"...

Of course, this is just a very likely theory...but one that bears a great deal of worry.

Please keep us updated...

[DevilNuts]

Ron,

It sounds like I may have entered the conversation a bit too late, but if you still need help getting into that computer, I know of several ways to do it.

I have no fewer than 3 tools that I use regularly to crack local passwords on computers, and to backdoor domains to access networks. All you need is physical access to the computer, and either a CD-ROM drive or USB 2.0 port.

Again, if I'm too late I apologize, but if you want the info anyway PM me and I'll be more than glad to help.

[Ron Caliburn]

I've allready sent the computer off to one who has authorized access to it. But I'd appreciate the info in case I ever find a need to use it.

[Faerie Chaser]

Hello Ron,


I am going to fax you what I was able to pull from the system. As I got it yesterday...NEVER ship anything UPS! That and you, my friend, need to learn to write where people can actually read it! SHESH!!! My neighbor brought the laptop to me this morning, when the UPS guy threw it on to her deck, broke her flowers, and left before she got to the door, etc. PM me the fax #, please.

[Ron Caliburn]

Glad you got it, and the fax # is in your PM.

It's not my fault it was wrong, you limeys have all those really confusing addresses and postal codes and such. I'm just glad it got in the right state.

[KonThaak]

HEY! Just because one delivery driver lacks common courtesy doesn't mean we're all horrible people, thanks.

...Besides, FedEx has been known to play soccer with non-envelope packages at their centers. That's why it's only a good idea to ship professional and legal letters through them. Nothing else.

[Faerie Chaser]

Glad you got it, and the fax # is in your PM.

It's not my fault it was wrong, you limeys have all those really confusing addresses and postal codes and such. I'm jsut glad it got in the right state.

Uh, news flash, I am in the US. The address read TN, not UK.

[Ron Caliburn]

So long ago . . . I tried to provide a cover and a misdirection and Faerie Chaser had to let it slip . . .

[Holister]

Reminissing about more dead ex-members; again. Get a new sthick Ron, your routine is geting old.

[Kolya]

So is yours.

[Ron Caliburn]

Someone needs to remember them. Other than Pendragon, Koyla and myself, there are very few of us who have been here more than 2 years that are still active.