Realistic or Modern BIO - By Invitation Only

[Mitheral]

Current Characters

docs.google.com

Aug 5, 2039 Monday

Most of the kids at DaVinci Academy had already arrived. But a few were among the late arrivals. Those from families who were extraordinarily wealthy - and had little time to spend on their children - arrived early. Ian Fleming was one of those kids, though the decision had been made a little late. They would usually mean the last choice of room assignments. But he had been invited to the B.I.O. - By Invitation Only club. It wasn’t so much a choice though as he had soon learned. He had been sent all over the island with his bags with bad directions. He had literally ended up at the stables where he found out his name was on the door to a horse stall.

And that was where he met some of the guys from the LaCrosse team, the Soccer team (they called it football), the Rugby team. They were laughing and welcoming him to DaVinci - and not in a good way. The choice manner in which he was introduced to the school landed him in detention - before school even started that had to be some kind of a record. It also landed four boys - one a prince, duke, or something like that - in the Nurse’s Office. His parents hadn’t been available to be informed when the school called and for a short time Ian was certain he was going to be the first student in history expelled before actually starting at school.

The other boys got a slap on the wrist and that was about it. Mr Brady, who was apparently Head of Security, was a little bit tougher on him. The man already knew about his trophies. But the man did at least get him help picking up all his things, getting the manure cleaned off, and delivered to his quarters. And though the punishment was a slap on the wrist, put the rest of the boys down so fast it was amazing. Mr Brady looked like the clean cut All American man, but he could put up one hell of a fight. Ian had since learned that Mr Brady was a former unlimited class Amateur Kickboxing national champ.

So when Ian saw Mook headed into the same stables and the same group of bullies - more or less - following him in, he went to get Mr Brady. Mook was nearly a foot shorter. But when Ian arrived with Mr Brady they found the boys on the ground, groaning in pain, and hog tied with whatever was handy. Mook they discovered in the stall setting up his room. He was calmly asking a horse which side of the stall he wanted. He looked over at Mr Brady and said, “Nice living arrangements. Beats camping out in the open in the rain.”

Elektra knew exactly who Ian was. By coincidence, Ian’s parents owned a house just down the street from hers. Ian had been living there and going to school the past year. She knew Ian was a jock. Not just a jock, but a champion jock. She hated jocks. Jocks were scum of the Earth. Jocks stank. Jocks were guys with small minds that never fully developed. Jocks thought with their little head.

Elissa was the most confusing member of BIO. BIO was supposed to be for socially awkward students. But she was anything but. She was practically an empath. And looked as if she was going to charm every alpha male jock in the school - until one got a little fresh with her early on - and nearly got his wrist broken. She had just snatched his offending hand and put him on the ground with one deft move. Her parents had taught her a little self defense.

And these events had brought BIO to the attention of their sibling club - SOS. Kevin decided that in the future any prospective SOS or BIO club members should be met upon arrival and escorted to their Halls. Naturally he volunteered his friends and made the offer via Mr Brady.

The Staff

News of the fights reached Elizabeth Greyson, via her son and daughter. Danny and Danielle - or D1 and D2 as they were often called - had been born biomedical prodigies. They worked with Dr Jones and Dr Mueller. They had the closest access to their mother, and would be intimately involved in Project BIO. In a way it seemed ironic that they would be experimenting on kids. But there was a difference; unlike their father they wouldn’t be engaging in torture. For that matter, the children would have a choice. It bothered them that their father had actually been right - about some things anyways. He HAD stimulated children into producing superpowers. But he hadn’t realized that most powers wouldn’t develop until maturity began to settle in - in other words, adolescence.

There was minimal danger in the children having fights. It was the school’s policy NOT to stop fights unless they proved serious. Punishments? Sure. But children fighting was a normal part of human development. The children of BIO would NEED to develop the ability to handle bullies. So the club had been formed. Safety in numbers.

Some of the boys had already become the victims of bullying. The twins were especially amused at Mook’s response. The bullies had been the ones to need saving. The kid had seen the bullies stalking him and been armed. Despite being something of a runt, the boy didn’t take crap from anyone. And picking on Ian - excuse - JAMES (the kid hated his first name!!!) - had proven an equally costly mistake. Ian’s father was a professional athlete and had coached his son in most American sports to the point where trophies had become ubiquitous. In fact, Ian’s art sculpture using his trophies had been what drew her attention to him. Of all the kids to be bullied, she had been most upset about him. She had a soft spot for artists - well, softer. Mom was all about being soft.

/

The children had received official notices concerning a welcoming meeting of BIO in the main assembly area of the Hall. They were to meet with some of the Staff, such as Elizabeth Greyson, Dr Sybil Shepard, Dr Kassandra Soleil and a few others.

(OOC: I am going to let you guys meet one another, etc first. No need to respond to the meeting yet if you don’t want to.)

 

[PinkChiffon]

Juliette
​

Juliette had arrived several days prior, accompanied by her oldest brother Simon, and her older sister Genevive to see that she was getting settled properly. She did not know any of the other kids in the BIO program personally, but several of their last names sounded familiar to her. Juliette had spent the last few days getting acquainted with the campus as well as having some rather unpleasant run-ins with some of the other students of Davinci Academy. It was nothing too serious, just a few verbal spats with some girls who were ‘obviously not brought up well.’ She had yet to actually come across any of the other kids in the BIO program, but the campus was large and she was about to change as they were being summoned for a welcome meeting.

Juliette had been dreading the meeting practically all morning, these sorts of things always made her uncomfortable. She was not great at meeting her peers in a casual setting. Put her in a formal setting, or with adults and she was perfectly capable. Ask her to connect with people her own age and any level besides superficial? No thanks!

Juliette was on a walk outside, trying to relax a bit before the welcome meeting kicked off. The warmth of the sun on her face brought her great comfort and eased her racing mind.

 

[Out Of Words]

Foster, for all his huffing and puffing about being ready to leave home, found himself reluctant to arrive as early as his parents wanted him to leave. He had his luggage sent early, just two steamer trunks. All he had to carry himself was the rucksack slung on his back. It would have anything he absolutely didn't want anyone messing with. So, after his driver dropped him off at their private airport, he pulled a tall tale.

Foster faked getting a phone call as he was approaching the plane. Took only a minute in the ruse, then he approached the co-pilot waiting outside. "Hey, sorry about this. Apparently, there's this big meeting I am required to attend over this weekend. I'm going to call the driver and he'll come back for me. So, take a couple days off. Sounds like I need to fly out of here on.." He checked his phone again, as if checking a text message. Swiped a bit, scrolled and then of course, there was the 'information'. "Yeah, Monday. Yeah, go enjoy yourselves and I'll just meet back here, first thing in the morning on Monday? And.." Imaginary text message received. "Oh.. Oh wow, I almost forgot. Okay. Here.." Foster fished around in his bag and pulled out two sealed envelopes for the co-pilot and pilot. "They said you could use this, for all the good work you're doing."

Foster handed them over, and made a point to meet the man's gaze. Yeah, they knew he was probably lying through his teeth, but they also knew there would be a nice bit of a 'bonus' in those envelopes. This wasn't their first Foster Croft rodeo. The man gave a smile, a nod of his head, and one of those finger slide along the side of his nose to indicate the message was received loud and clear. They'd just deliver the Croft boy on Monday. Foster grinned wider at the finger along the nose salute, and turned around to head back into the city.

Monday

Foster had needed the few days away from his family, and not at the boarding school they were paying to put up with him. And to be honest, his parents wouldn't care as long as he made it to school on time. He had checked into a nice hotel, ordered a ton of room service, and enjoyed the movies available on the cable TV. Played some games on his own laptop, slept a lot, and tried to mentally prepare himself over the weekend. New school, new classes, new people, and guaranteed he'll have new grudges for his little book.

All too soon, the day of reckoning arrived. Foster left generous tips in his wake, and took the hotel shuttle van to the airport. Foster gave the co-pilot a little bit of a smile and wave, but otherwise he was silent as he boarded the plane and settled in for the flight to one of the side islands at DaVinci Academy. He knew he'd get the crap room assignments, but he usually wound up with crap room assignments even when he arrived early. No real point in rushing the inevitable.

Foster popped in his earbuds, and started up his instrumental playlist. He preferred instrumental when flying, it helped him sleep. Nothing like waking up and the trip is already over. He'd have to take the ferry from there to the main island, but he arrived with a couple hours to spare for the big meeting. Foster figured he'd just find out where they were putting him after the meeting. With the hood of his jacket pulled up and over his head, Foster sought out a place near the main assembly area to just sort of camp out and do some people watching. The playlist was changed to a mixture of rock and EDM. Best for watching others with.

One could learn a lot by just watching. There were always a handful of people who showed their true colors from the get go. Made it easy to know who needed to be avoided. Foster was really going to try hard to avoid trouble, but damn, trouble just seemed to find him anyway.

 

[Mitheral]

Sybil stood outside the door to the Mentor Office of the BIO Hall. She sighed as she failed to pull the door open with a gentle tug. The door was instead pulled back shut by Elizabeth Greyson. There were few people that Sybil had ever met with more phobias. But then Elizabeth’s were well earned. The woman had been born to a life of torture, a life Sybil could scarecely comprehend.

“It’ll be fine,” Sybil tried to coax the woman, her voice gentle. “You KNOW these students. You handpicked them. They are nervous too - some of them. Maybe you can try and help those? Some are even artists. You’ll have lots to talk about.” She tried the door again, but it tugged shut. Slightly frustrated. “Or … I could go in there and tell them we are moving venue to … the other side of this door. Might get a little crowded in there.”

Elizabeth paled. Sybil would do it too. It was hard to say which was worse. Agoraphobia, claustrophobia, or demophobia. Since her escape from Dr Kessick many years ago she had come a long way toward conquering her fears. But it was days like today that they came back in full force. Slowly she opened the door. Face her fears. Face her fears. She forced herself to breath.

“That’s it,” Sybil crooned. At least it was progress.

In the Assembly area - which could serve a number of functions, such as a Dance Hall, the members of BIO had found seats. The meeting was mandatory - if they wanted to remain in the club and therefore keep their private room. Each student had been informed of this at least three times by now. The computers in their rooms also gave them notifications.

Sybil practically had to drag Elizabeth into the Assembly area. The instant the woman looked into the room, she paled. In truth it wasn’t as bad as going outside. But noone could tell her mind that. The woman squinted her eyes half shut and pushed herself on in. Good for her. Sybil realized that asking Elizabeth to start the meeting was going to be out of the question, but she had to try. She guided her to a speaking platform that could be used for other purposes - a karaoke stand, a dance off platform, or a Guitar Hero stand.

“Do you want to start us off?” Sybil asked. Elizabeth started to look a little green around the gills. She continued without missing a beat. “Actually I think I shall.” She looked out at the student, noticing their seating arrangements - which placed themselves about as far from one another and herself as possible. The only place they seemed to cluster was the exit. But she put on her best smile and dove right in.

“Hello everyone. I am Dr Sybil Shepard; this is Elizabeth Greyson. Some of you have met her children Dr and Dr Greysons, whom we all just call D1 and D2, over at the First Aid station. Now then I would like to go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves, tell us a little about yourselves, and where your interests lie. Spoiler alert: the less you tell us now, the more we will dig later. How about we start with you?” She pointed at Ian.

One of the first to arrive had been James (Ian Fleming). He saw the meeting as a great excuse not to go to any sports tryouts being held at the same time. This was NOT his idea of a fun alternative. He merely shrugged. “James. Art.” Then he fell silent.

Sybil was generally given to shock. But her jaw dropped as she became speechless. She had expected a little resistance, teenagers and all. SHE was never this bad, was she? ‘Uhm?”

“I liked your sculpture.” Elizabeth Greyson’s voice almost startled Sybil. She had one of those angelic voices when she chose to use it or when she opened up - as she now did just a little. “I bet your father didn’t understand it. But I did. Welcome to BIO, James.” Elizabeth looked around the room. “BIO is for those who often find themselves standing on the sidelines, on the outside looking in. Some of you want to be a part of what you see. Some set their sights elsewhere and want nothing to do with the group. BIO is about learning to appreciate life in both directions, to take responsibility for both. It is also about not trying to change who you are - or even the perception of who you are. Rather it is about learning to handle social pressures with grace and understanding. Perhaps, Mr Fleming, you could tell us a little bit more? I would be most curious.”

Sybil gawked. That had been more words than she had even heard Elizabeth say in one time that she could recall.

James found himself flushed. He had been staring at Ms Greyson, but with the look a teenager might get when he had a crush on a teacher. He averted his eyes to look everywhere BUT at her. He hesitated, then continued. “Uhm .. James Fleming. I am from California and Florida. My parents have a few homes. Uhm ...I also like extreme sports, not the boring classic ones like football and such. I like the ones that demand a little creativity and style, more of a challenge. And … I am sort of into agriculture - advanced farming techniques. Ever since the War arable land has suffered, so I want to study aquaculture, hydro and aeroponics.” His lips clamped shut indicating he was drawing a blank as to what else to say about himself.

Eizabeth smiled and nodded. “That was much better.”

“What about you?” Ian asked. “Seems only fair if we have to talk about us …” There was a scattered chorus of yeahs.

Sybil chuckled. “He has us there. But WE asked first. So all of you first; THEN our turn.”

 

[Out Of Words]

Ah, hell. Foster hated the whole 'tell us about yourself' type of introductions. He knew it was better to just rip the band-aid off, get it over with, get it done. One leg bounced up and down, waiting for his chance to take his turn. Then he could just sit back, relax, and listen to what everyone else had to say. And after listening to all James talked about, Foster knew he had to go. Like, capital H-A-D to go. His hand shot up, and the moment he was given leeway to talk, he stood up cause that's what you do, right?

"Foster Croft. Uh. Seventeen. I like music and rainy days. My favorite thing to do are those do it yourself model kits. I like to put them together, and then detail the ever loving .. uh.. heck. Heck out of them. And so, if you see some finished models around with a little sign that says free for the taking, yeah. Prolly me. Once they're done, I don't have a need for them anymore. So yeah." Oh, and where his interests lie? Ugh. "Uh.."

"As for interests, kinda early to tell, yanno? Sort of undecided, planning on just seeing all the options, trying out a few, and going from there. Yeah. So, uh... Good talk. Thanks!"

He sat back down then, mentally going over what all he said, and hoped they didn't want him to elaborate. See, part of going early and getting it over with, was Foster wouldn't be quite as self conscious as he knew he would be if he went last. Well, if the others were all like James. Listing a lot of things Foster knew nothing about, or had absolutely zero skill in, which was... a hell of a lot. And he felt like some late bloomer, not entirely sure yet as to a 'path' he wanted in life.

Foster felt like he spent so much time in trouble, or staying out of trouble, it had been difficult to latch onto anything solid. What the hell did he like? Inquiring minds want to know. Maybe he'll have a chance here to actually figure that out for himself.

 

[PinkChiffon]

Juliette​

Juliette listening intently as the others gave their little backgrounds, occasionally looking around at the other students. It seemed like everyone sat as far from each other as the could. Juliette was oddly comforted by this, she probably wasn't the only one feeling out of her element. Turning her attention back to those who were speaking, she was relieved that this was the way they would be introduced, and not in a less formal setting later. She was a strong public speaker and she felt a weight being lifted off her. She saw her window approaching, and she stood up as Foster finished. She smoothed her skirt out with her hands and corrected her posture.

"Hello, my name is Juliette St.Clair, I'm from Belgium, and it's a pleasure to meet you all." Juliette paused for a beat. Whenever she introduced herself before, she never really had to actually talk about herself. "I like science, particularly botany and microbiology. I'm an accomplished pianist and I've taken ballet lessons since I was a little girl. I also like to garden and keep bees. Once I complete school it's likely I'll either enter my father's business or pursue my scientific interest. Thank you." Juliette sat back down. Every word out of her mouth felt sure and exact, and she was feeling a sense of pride over how it went.

 

[dog_teeth]

JOAN​

Joan watches with a lazy, critical eye as others introduce themselves, her dark red-brown eyes almost black with misery as she shifts her jaw. Pain erupts in her ears with a pop as her ears adjust to the altitude. She resists the urge to sigh in relief as the hammering discomfort fades away for the first time since landing. Flying would be a nice thing if it didn't grieve her with migraines and altitude sickness even after the whole affair. She leans back in her chair, eyeing the exit with a longing glance. She would honestly love to be anywhere but here. She remembers a time when she was still young and living with her grandfather when she didn't mind talking to classmates; even enjoying and looking forward to when she would introduce herself to others. Her ear twitches when she notices that she's next, judging from the order that they've been going in. She exhales, preparing herself for the teachers' expectant gazes. Their little speech matters nothing to Joan. She'll give a good little act, toss in some misdirection, let people speculate and decide that she's not good to be around. It'll save her some trouble from the nosy or friendly types... hopefully.

"I'm Joan. I'm from America, and I'm a stereotypical American, I like dogs, guns, and alcohol. I'm not interested in getting into trouble though, so don't worry 'bout those, Teach," she says with a sly but sincere smile, her eyes flicking to Sybil. Not that it meant she wouldn't find a way to get in trouble or find a way to sneak a bit of booze. She just meant she wouldn't get caught; a little detail they didn't need to know. "I've been told I have terrible taste in music, and I don't know what I want to do but I'm figuring literature is a good way to go for now." It's not a lie, after all. But she'll probably just have her fun here, milk the school for all the good food and fun times for what it's worth, and ditch civilization after her flight back to the mainland. It sure beats a boring future doing nothing but scribbling letters all the time.

 

[truthofself]

現る黒い空
鼓動は雷鳴を繰り返す

Before the storm begins
I will cast that spell on you​

Dann was anything but excited. His mother was dead set on sending him off to this one academy. She had remembered him mentioning in the past, but she didn't remember why he mentioned it. Which he did, Dann only mentioned it, because it was one of the better schools, it had high expectations of its students, and he kind of liked the idea of not being in Germany anymore. Germany was boring and painful, he couldn't think of any of this old memory of it, the good ones he knew existed.

He sighed, his mother left him at the school gates, and sent him to handle the rest on his own. It was a new school, what could actually go wrong? Well, for Dann, a lot could wrong. He'd been burned and hurt far more than most would believe. And he couldn't believe his mother left him at the gates. The boy made his way slowly through the campus, avoiding any interaction with people, well, with the few that were there. He was early to moving in, mostly because he wanted to get the hell away from his old home, and city. He loved Berlin, he did, but he didn't love the people or its high schools. Frankly, he just didn't like anything that lived in the city of Berlin, besides his mother, and his maids and bodyguards. Those people cared for him and kept him safe, and he loved them for that. But everyone else? Yeah, they could go to hell for all Dann cared. Dann avoided as many people as he could in the time before the meeting for the members of BIO, thankfully he hadn't had any bad run-ins yet, just a few people complaining about his lack of speech.

Unlike Dann, KD wasn't a special case, she was smart and talented, but she wasn't smart enough, or talented enough to be here on a scholarship or have enough money to come here on some fancy private jet. She hardly was able to make it there when she wanted too, and she was already hating it. She was forced to travel alone, and figure everything out on her own. She got lost, way too many times, and people didn't really even notice her for her to ask for help. She spent what felt like hours running around before she finally found her way. She tried contacting her mom, but she must've been too busy to reply. She huffed whenever she looked at her phone, not seeing any reply from her mother. But, KD wasn't lucky in the next days. She was picked on by other girls, for the way she dressed. Pretty tall girls, pretty rich girls, girls with beautiful girl names. She just hoped that is this continued, it was just for her looks, and not about her name, or her hobbies.

It felt like forever for the BIO member meeting to arrive. KD and Dann had actually met the day prior during a meal, bumping into each other. Dann was nice to her, he didn't speak much, but he smiled at her, and was kind from his actions and the way he reacted around her. He didn't judge her or ignore her. And that made her smile. But, when she saw him heading towards the BIO meeting, she was suddenly excited, she didn't even think about it before she picked up her pace and caught up with him. KD gave him a big smile when he turned to look at her, and he smiled back. They didn't speak words but kept near as they walked towards the building. KD and Dann entered the room together, both unnerved by the idea that they had to introduce themselves, and talk about themselves. KD didn't have much to say, and Dann wasn't even sure if he could. They stood next to each other, but KD was the first to speak.

The girl with hair that looked as if it was fire, and the pale skin, was soft-spoken but spoke in a very bland tone, she avoided looking at people, and kept her eyes on a spot across the room past ever. "Aaah, my name is KD, but if you want, you could also call me Mars, it's what my Mom calls me. I'm Peruvian, but I'm not from Peru. My mother is, but I'm not. Uhm, I really like fashion and sewing. I'd like to be a clothing designer or seamstress.

There was a pause, following before Dann spoke. It was rare to heart the tallboy speak. His eyes were the colour of the sea, and he had a pretty smile, that is when he did smile. He looked rather uncomfortable in the moment, not looking up from the ground as he spoke. "I'm Danniel, but just called me Dann, with two n's. It's weird, but I'm from Germany, uhm, My mother is the CEO of LYRIS Designs, the biggest Clothing Brand in Germany...Not sure if that's well know outside of Europe." Dann was speaking very softly and quietly. "I like, video games, and clothing, and taking photos. I have uhm, speaking problems. I can't speak very loud, or much."

蘇らせるのさ
愛する君の心​

Throw off that body
Now it's time for you to return to me

 

[Mitheral]

“What kind of guns?” Mook asked Joan. “I kinda like the Beretta Model 92F 9mm.” He sounded WAY too enthusiastic. “You want something reliable in a You vs Them sitrep.” Clearly he had no idea Joan was talking more about hunting that gang warfare or surviving the apocalypse.

“Mook! Thank you for volunteering!” Sybil looked at the kid, her eyes wincing with amused sympathy for the other students.

The boy shrugged and nodded. The guy had zero problems with trying to be sociable. He just lacked a filter sometimes as to what was appropriate to talk about. “Mook .. uh … Reed, I guess. I like ologies and techno stuff. You know, geology, archaeology, metallurgy, chemistry, physics, math, computers, blacksmithing. I like tinkering with stuff, making them work. I like gadgets.”

Elissa piped up out of turn. “Like Bzz?” She blushed impishly. But her question had the desired effect as Mook turned beet red, completely flustered. Of course, Sybil’s jaw dropped again. She hadn’t expected THAT. Poor Elizabeth was equally shocked.

Elektra Maize actually exploded in a sharp laugh. She had NOT seen THAT one coming. But the Mook kid had been a little riled up after the fight with the guys from the Alpha Hall unofficially coined the Animal House. He had been upset with Security taking his tasers away and was all but daring the Alphas to try again. For a runt, Mook had some serious gonads. She was happy to see the boy flustered.

Sybil cleared her throat. “How about we get back to subjects other than things that go Bzzz … unless we are talking about insectology? And I do not mean Birds and Bees either. Mook?”

Mook’s brains had turned to mush a little after Elissa’s interruption. “Uhm … I got nothing. Oh, wait. Albuquerque. I moved here from Albuquerque. I was staying with a foster family. Sort of a scholarship thing for me here.” His expression changed to one of someone seeking a little turnabout. He pointed at Elissa. “I think she volunteered to go next.”

Sybil smiled. “I believe you are right. Elissa?”

Elissa smiled. She realized at this moment she had no idea why she had been invited to join BIO. She didn’t fit the usual mold. She wasn’t so much socially awkward as often finding herself committing social suicide by mingling with socially awkward people. She gazed directly into Dr Shepard’s eyes for an instant and found an epiphany.

“I am Elissa Denim. I am from Montana. I like animals - and boys - same thing. I like nature - and boys - same thing. And I like the outdoors. I am planning to go into medicine and or veterinary. I have a strong interest in saving the environment and any efforts to clean up the mess from the War. If we don’t, we won’t have a world willing to support us anymore.”

How Elissa could manage to look innocent after that little speech had Sybil impressed. “Okay then, Elektra?”

Elektra hated this. But at least she wasn’t alone in this fact. Mook and Elissa seemed to enjoy it. But then they weren’t like a lot of the popular kids who would try to embarrass you in a bad way. For some reason Elissa teasing Mook had just sounded appropriate. She was pretty sure the girl would have tried that with any other guy there.

She signed in resignation. “Elektra Maize. California. Computers.” Then as an afterthought. “Oh, and I have a pet iguana named Dude. He thinks he’s a dog.”

 

[Nocturne.]

Natasha Shaw Young.
────────

​

Natasha wasn't very excited about DaVinci, and that was putting it lightly. She'd barely set foot onto the school grounds, and she could already feel that she was going to hate the place. Sure, it may've been 'elite', but it wasn't gonna be any different from her other schools. She'd get in another fight, or get suspended ten times over. Then, expulsion. Really, Natasha found it laughable that her parents found this school any different than any other ordinary boarding school she'd be thrown into after this one. Foot tapping against the pavement as she walked, Natasha reluctantly entered the hall where the meeting she was to attend took place.

Oh, yeah. B.I.O. At least Natasha could say that little endeavor of DaVinci's seemed...interesting. It seemed something, at least.

Before arriving, Natasha had been staying in a hotel suite. After all, her parents wanted to get rid of the girl as soon as possible. Not their problem anymore, she thought. She recalled her experience before arriving, and before she knew it, she was at the door of where the meeting was to be held. She knew she was late, and would probably be met with an adequate amount of stares when she entered the room, but nonetheless entered.

"I guess we're introducing ourselves?" She questioned, reading the room sufficiently, and going off of bits and pieces of conversation she'd heard through the door. "Natasha Young. I like art. Mostly Renaissance. I guess my interests are few and far between...poetry. I paint, sometimes. Yeah..." She took a seat once she was done talking, straying away from everyone else much like the other students did.

 

[Mitheral]

Sybil nodded. “Okay then. Go ahead and enjoy a quick snack. We will get started as soon as a few other teachers and Staff get here. Elizabeth, shall we wake up Matthew?” Sybil walked over to a closet and opened it up. Dressed in a Matrix styled duster, wearing Neo sunglasses was Dr Matthew Channing, fast asleep. He seemed to be hung there on a coat hook. Slowly he stirred.

“Matthew?” Sybil asked.

Matthew yawned. “Last I checked. Have you any idea what time it is? It won’t be night for hours.” There was a high pitched squeaking noise from his coat pocket. That got his attention. He drew from his pocket a small fruit bat. “Dr Shepard, if you would take Koda outside. Daylight.”

“Now?”

“Unless you want everything smelling like ammonia. He needs to go to the little bat’s room. This is what happens when you mess with our sleep schedule.” Matthew smiled.

Sybil tilted her head back briefly, rolling her eyes. “Right.” She looked at the class. “Dr Channing suffers from Porphyria. Are we going to do introductions?”

“WE are, the children have already done so. You’ve read their files.” Sybil hurried off.

Kassandra Soleil and Sean Reed showed up as Sybil headed out. Sean grinned. “Guano duty?”

“More like doody,” Sybil muttered.

The last to arrive was the Librarian, Janice Rand, in a wheelchair. They all waited until Koda came flying into the room and went straight to Matthew. Sybil wasn’t far behind.

“Now then. The next part of this meeting is classified. Up until now you have been told very little about DaVinci Academy, BIO, or even your sibling club next door - SOS. Each has a purpose. You and the rest of the world, with a few exceptions, have been oblivious to the truth about history.

“There was no World War III. The nuclear powers of the Earth did not wage war against one another. The escalation of hostilities was a ruse to prevent a panic. In 2027 a scientist named Schumacher discovered an anomaly passing through the Oort Cloud travelling roughly 2 million miles per hour, on a collision course for the Earth. At that pace we had 10.6 years to prepare. The nuclear weapons that were launched had one purpose - to reduce the incoming wave of asteroids and meteors to sizes that would be incinerated by friction in our atmosphere. This was done in two waves.

“The survival plan was three fold back in 2027. Project Messiah was a massive interplanetary vessel to be sent out to hit the swarm further out. A Space Ark was planned to send a population out of the path and give the human race a chance to survive. Finally Enclaves - massive caverns with supplies to save about 1 person in 300. Noone over the age of 50 to be spared unless they were mission critical.

“The Dubai Accords of 2039 were the final part of the cover up as all nations pledged to help the Earth recover from the apocalypse.

“You also also know about the appearance of the first superhumans in 2027. They weren’t the first. But they were the first to go public. And many of them proved to be unstable and dangerous. The appearance of those superhumans immediately followed meteor swarms. We know now that there was alien matter on some of the meteors. That has produced mutations in a number of primitive life forms - but not mammals or avians. However, there were a few humans in close proximity to the impacts that were affected.

“Okay, enough history for now. I am Dr Sybil Shepard. Remember, still classified. I was born in an alternate timeline in the future that I believe would correspond to the 2080’s. Difficult to be sure as our history was so different. Elizabeth?” Elizabth shook her head. “Elizabeth Greyson has lived a life tougher than any of you - with the possible exception of Dr Channing. Her own father was a mad scientist intent on stimulating the evolution of superpowers in children. Ms Greyson may have been one of the first. She grew up in a cage like a lab test specimen. Her children were also experimented on. Many children suffered; many died. Dr Channing?”

Matthew shook his head and gestured. “You tell it so well. And …” he glanced at Sean Reed, “I do tend to get worked up.”

“Dr Channing is an alien as was his half sister. His sister arrived on Earth during the American Civil War. Dr Reed? Kass?”

Sean Reed nodded. “I can handle this. “Dr Sean Reed. I was the costumed vigilante Olympus. Retired now.”
Kassandra showed up. “And he was my sidekick, while I donned a costume and called myself Arcana.”

Dr Reed looked at Kassandra grinning. “Sidekick?”

Kassandra patted him on his arm. “One of us had to be the brains of the operation.”

Sybil shook her head. “One more thing. SOS. They are considered your sibling club. Each of them was placed in that club because their lives are in jeopardy. Some have lost their families by horrific means. The funny thing is that one of them volunteered himself and his friends to serve as escorts after some of the bullying incidents. A few of you managed to evade trouble as it was headed off at the pass. Someday, some of you may return the favor.

“Now then any questions?”

 

[PinkChiffon]

Juliette
​

Juliette sat perfectly still, mouth slightly agape. She couldn't- she wouldn't believe what she was hearing. Surly the staff were screwing with them. Some sort of elaborate and extremely unfunny joke to try to get them to relax a bit. Of course, there was a war! Everyone knew about the war. Clearly this was school was some sort of ruse. Juliette didn't quite understand why, but she didn't care. Once the words "alternate timeline" were uttered, Juliette had pretty much made up her mind that these people were lunatics. Maybe this was some sort of religious sect disguised as an elite school?? She didn't really care what their motives were. As soon as they had opened the floor up to questioning, she raised her hand. Without waiting to be acknowledged, "May I please be excused?" Once again without waiting, Juliette promptly stood up and glided out of the room, not even remotely sure what her next move was going to be.

 

[Mitheral]

Sybil could practically read minds. Well, she could read microexpressions anyways. It was the next best thing. So many ways to answer Juliette’s question. She thought to herself on some of the potential responses and outcomes:

“No?” Such a short and sweet answer - with no teeth.

“Why certainly. And the movers will be by in the morning to pick up your things. I set you an appointment with the Staplers.” That was probably over the top. The very idea of threatening to Staple a child just wouldn’t sit well with her. Besides, none of these people had ever seen or heard of Stapling.

“From BIO or the School?” Kassie might object to that one.

“Fetch.” Spoken not to Juliette of the students, but Matthew. Have him drag her back.

“Scotty?” Spoken to the air, activating a transporter locked onto the girl as soon as she made it out of the room. The transporter hum to be accompanied by the girl’s fading “ahhhhh!”

But instead Sybil sighed and responded with, “Remember, classified. Not that anyone would believe you? But I can guarantee this. Utter a word of this and you will disappear down a dark hole never again to see the light of day. Not the school’s doing but your own governments. Matter of national security. If you don’t believe me, ignore the warning. And anyone you tell will likely suffer the same fate.

“Now then, if there are no further questions, why don’t you all get to know one another. You are going to need each other - and very soon. Some of you have already found out the hard way.”

As Juliette headed for the door, Janice Rand, the Librarian, stood up out of her wheelchair, and walked forward on two legs with the side to side rocking reminiscent of a chimpanzee. She nodded with a smile to Juliette as her hairless tail became visible.