Trekking

"Citizen, you are in violation of title eighteen, part one, chapter fifty one, paragraphs 1111, 1112, 1113, 1114 and 1116. Part 1, chapter fifty A, paragraph 1091 and part 1 chapter twelve paragraph two thirty one of the US code. You will stop your activities and wait to be apprehended by appropriate law enforcement authorities."

Lisa blinked looking at the screen and listening to the audio from the pickups and cameras at the boardwalk and the feed from the snitch. 'Food dispenser attempting citizen's arrest of the Leviathan' Oh, thank you power. I would have never known. "So Rodenberry's machine is out autism-ing Armsmaster and has decided if it is going to die it might as well go down swinging." She announced to the room full of thinkers. Variation of transporter technology, may be capable of dematerializing Leviathan. "What? Fuck off power, that will-"

Lisa watched as Leviathan swung at the machine, after staring at it with his head tilted like an attentive dog. A dome snapped into place around the machine and another around Leviathan. The rain cut off like it was a Hollywood movie set and someone had shut off the valve to the rain machine. 'Shields, particle and wave. Rotating shield frequencies, ninth generation, level ten shield, shield capable of defending against Borg, anti-matter, and quantum weapons.'

"Citizen, further resistance will be met with force."

Leviathan went insane inside his shield, which turned out to be a sphere as his efforts lifted it clear of the beach from repeated impacts and it filled with water. Water which only facilitated his mad dashing around inside the sphere. How he wasn't ground to mush with the sand and gravel inside the sphere was a mystery.

Lisa keyed her mike "Everyone should back off."

Alexandria replied "What is going on? Can that thing hold Leviathan?"

Lisa nodded, shrugged, shook her head, and answered "It has defended itself against everyone else who attacked one of them, or arrested anyone within five hundred meters of one committing a crime. There have been reports of them making people who didn't stop resisting disappear. Like Lung. It contained him. They rematerialize when the police tell it they are ready. Depends on its power source I think." Her power was giving her some information and a lot of, well, gibberish.

Armsmaster keyed his radio "As has been reported in Protectorate ENE files 20111312, 2135, 31256 and 43214."

Alexandria turned and looked at Armsmaster "We thought that was your idea of a joke."

Legend nodded "The video was a very creative touch."

Armsmaster glared at his superiors "We mounted the cameras and sensors watching the machines after anecdotal reports of their capabilities.

"We are still investigating. Research is ongoing into the constructs the machines have turned over to the police."

"Constructs?" Alexandria arched a brow.

Armsmaster nodded "The machines dissolve molecular bonds and take up the materials generated through matter conversion to energy and then reconstruct it by converting energy to matter at the molecular level, in an exact replica of the person or thing. The same way they intake trash and raw sewage and produce food, clean water and other assorted beverages. They also produce building supplies, fuel, metals, anything you can input the chemical formula or a sample for. Fine wines being essentially all the same admixture of water, alcohol and assorted chemicals it required a sample. That sample is indistinguishable from the original by every sommelier we have had render judgement. They thought it better in most cases.

"The Theory of Relativity is apparently a suggestion to them. Testing is still ongoing." Most of the capes present had turned to look at him by now.

Legend looked at the Empire 88 contingent there for the fight "Where is Hookwolf?"

Armsmaster sighed "In the 'buffer' as the machines call it. Apparently as a data pattern. We have not been able to prove to Rodenberry's satisfaction that we have the capability to transport him to the Birdcage successfully. Our latest plan is currently in Rodenberry's possession for review."

"Which is unlawful imprisonment and kidnapping!" Kaiser had stepped close to the group standing just outside the shield of the machine.

"Taylor v. Taintor, 83 U.S. 366 as amended in 1999 by a seven to two majority allows bounty hunters to hold prisoners until they are sure law enforcement can contain them. The prisoner must be turned over to lawful authorities, substantially unharmed, when they are capable of holding him or her." The machine supplied in its aloof, calm, mature, contralto voice.

"You vaporized him Rodenberry! I watched you do it!"

"His pattern is in the buffer and will be substantiated as soon as the plans for his containment are satisfactory."

Kaiser glared "This isn't over! I will find someone to arrest you Rodenberry! You will pay for your crimes!"

Assault snorted "Good luck finding her."

Battery added "Lung and Bakuda as well."

Alexandria wanted to put her fingers in her ears, scream, pull her hair out, something. The hands off policy on Brockton Bay due to the experiment had gone too far obviously. What else was lurking in this cesspool? That was looking cleaner and more orderly by miles than it had a year ago when she was last here. Bah! Leviathan, then they could deal with this mess. "Containment breech imminent. Citizen, you will cease and desist or you will be dematerialized into the buffer."

Lisa looked at Leviathan, then around the room, then she ran. Her power was screaming at the amount of material that was going to be taken in. It obviously didn't believe it could be contained.

As Alexandria and Legend began receiving reports of the thinkers universal hysteria, a sparkling field enveloped Leviathan and a high pitched electronic whine began. Leviathan froze inside the force field and then leaned its head back, a ragged mouth tore into its face and it screamed as it glowed and disappeared. She blinked "What the fuck just happened?" She looked past where Leviathan had been after the force field dissipated and blinked at the glow coming from the water. "What the fuck is that?"

Legend winced at the cursing, then joined in as a an enormous structure rose from the bay, and rose, and rose. "Fuck me." It rose some more, now with no visible means of support.

Assault nodded "I didn't realize the bay was that deep."

Alexandria looked around "What exactly is that?"

Clockblocker shrugged "A United Federation of Planets Sovereign class Battleship. The only one in commission was the USS Enterprise. NCC 1701 E. At least when the series ended." He looked around at the crowd who were now all staring at him "What? A vending machine just ate an Endbringer, now you are surprised? Phhtt, so telling you the vending machine was probably using a corbomite reflector to make that sphere it held Leviathan in isn't something you want to hear then? Not quite sure how Rodenberry got one in one of her vending machines. Things are energy pigs. Of course, now that the Enterprise is here she has a warp 9.5 capable warp core to draw from. No idea how she is transmitting the power though."

Vista stepped from the roof five blocks away and snorted "At least TNG didn't have to have a resident catsuit bunny to rescue its ratings. All though, Enterprise turned out kind of OK. Blalock learned to act eventually."

Rune gaped at her "Until they killed Trip! Fucking Hacks. And they did it twice! Limited imaginations! That whole writing team should have been replaced."

Kid Win spoke up "Seven of Nine was a super badass!"

"Please, F cups do not a super badass make. Those writers emasculated her!" Pelter waved her hand airily.

Fenja barked "Hey! F cups do not prevent you from being a badass!"

Legend whistled with his fingers in his mouth, a piercing blast. Everyone ducked then turned to him "Debrief."

Clockblocker snorted "Better do it here. If you try to move the vending machine you will get to keep Leviathan, Hookwolf, Lung, and Bakuda company."

A figure appeared in a shimmer "It's not a vending machine, it's a replicator. Admittedly I had to build in some defenses after Squealer stole and disassembled the first one." She, obviously a woman from the build, or a very unfortunate guy, those hips only belonged on a woman. She was thick like a MMA fighter though, tall, thin, couldn't really tell about the chest as her armor covered it smoothly, though it did have a bulge in the right place, wearing an odd padded under suit and exoskeleton in a charcoal black on lighter black camouflage pattern that seemed to absorb light, carrying a sleek looking rifle, last she had a utility belt with several blocky and cylindrical objects attached to it, with two drop leg holsters. On her head was a full coverage helmet with a smooth faceplate.

"C'mon man! MACO armor?" Clockblocker face palmed.

Kid Win had stepped right next to the woman. "So cool. Do all those modules just plug in? Modules, modular! Oh man!" He grabbed the woman and kissed her on the faceplate. Before running off.

Clockblocker opened his mouth, then snapped it closed looking in the glowing humming barrel of the rifle thing. Vista laughed "If it's on stun blast him Rodenberry!"

Alexandria sat on the bench in front of the replicator, it hummed then produced a cup of steaming soup for her. She snorted and took it.

AN: No idea what this is or where it came from. It keeps pouring out of my head. No idea where it is going as well so suggest away, maybe it would make it into this as I am posting without letting it sit as I normally do.