Scene #3230:

Owner	Pose
Vega	EARTH-1987 CONFUSINGLY IT'S THE YEAR 2015 Shadowlaw Island does not have its own warpgate. Sanary had to be flown there, in an incredibly advanced stealth military vehicle that utterly defied the conventions of the 2015 aesthetic. Once disembarked, however, the view is...certainly something. The artificial island is a like massive oil rig, crawling with red-and-black-armored soldiers, all of them handling extremely advanced technology. The waves lap against the structure's sides from far below as Sanary is escorted into one of the huge buildings by a group of those same soldiers. She's not at any point treated like a prisoner, of course, though how comfortable she is with armed men and women guiding her across an intimidating super-science base...well, that's for her to decide. Either way, Sanary is led into the tall building, down halls with the winged skull logo emblazoned on the floor or the ceiling or the walls, until the small group comes to a large door. With a hiss, the door opens. The inside is probably not what Sanary was expecting. Inside is a room full of...well, of pictures. Many of them are painted images of Vega, most in oil paints, some in regular paints, one or two even in crayon or tile art. Vases, exotic statues, and art fill the room, as well as blueprints and battleplans. A huge TV/monitor/screen/projection(?) casts an image of a Street Fight on the wall, two people beating each other stupid (neither of them Vega). A soldier in black-and-red armor stands near the door with a tray of glasses and alcohol. Another soldier stands next to him, with a tray of what look like tiny sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Music plays over it all, swelling, operatic music that puts one in mind of a battle. But even before all that, even before the pictures of Vega, the butler-soldiers with wine and food, the swelling operatic music...the most attention-grabbing thing of all is the presence. Vega's presence is liquid, pure, rarefied Evil. The moment the door is open that foul presence oozes out of the room, as if it was liquid or gas in a very small container and it needed to expand. It is not the presence of a human being. It is the presence of something Else. But it is also powerful. It is massive, terrible, but powerful, that cannot be denied. The Man Himself, the Dictator, hovers in the middle of the room, not even bothering to touch the floor. He seems larger than life, as if his presence and he are one, as if he's larger than his body can contain. Massive arms are folded behind a cape as he stares, white-eyed gaze locked on the television screen. A glass of wine hovers next to him, wreathed in purple. He does not turn his head. "I see that I have your interest once again," comes the cold, unpleasantly Evil voice. Vega doesn't turn his head to look at her, but one of his huge arms unfolds from behind his back and gestures her in. There's no warmth in the gesture - indeed, whether Vega is even CAPABLE of warmth is up for debate - but it is at least a gesture of welcome. "Have a taste, and a glimpse, of what power can offer you."
Sanary Rondel	Why couldn't Vega have made it easier and just met her at the Citadel? It wouldn't have been so bad if there was a boat ride or even a (shudder) car, but it just /had/ to involve an aircraft. She couldn't really fault him for the security, but still. Flying sucks. At least it didn't take too long to actually get to his island. It's an impressive looking island at that, and nothing like what she's used to seeing back home. The gear handled by those soldiers gets a cursory glance as she doesn't have much time to inspect it, but... Maybe later. For now, she's got a different thing to focus on. Today, she's going to be talking to Vega. If it counts for anything, the healer's actually dressed fairly well today: A three-piece suit with clean (but not waxed nor polished) shoes. She's also carrying a somewhat large bell on her side instead of her usual axe, opting for something sleeker and less obviously-dangerous looking should she run into any... Does Vega even have dinner parties? Who knows. Whatever the case is, Sanary's attention snaps to Vega fairly quickly once he speaks up, and she enters that room without too much hesitation. It's not like she could leave without his say so, anyway, so might as well take it all in stride. "Evening, Vega. Yeah, I've.. Had some things happen lately. You definitely have a nice place around here... Is this from the power, or doing business or what?" She pauses, then clears her throat. "But anyway. I want to know more about your power. How it works, what it does, any side-effects. And..." She pauses, taking a moment to breathe so she can speak clearly. "I need power. That's why I'm here."
Vega	Vega does not wave a hand, but the projection shuts off, as if he'd willed it. He turns to face her, turning those terrible, blank white eyes on her. There's something soulless about them, like there's no person behind them at all - just a body, staring at her. If Vega has ever had a dinner party, it must surely have been incredibly unsettling. Imagine watching those eyes staring at you as you eat...! One of the soldiers offers Sanary a glass. The other offers her a little sandwich. "Power is power," Vega corrects Sanary, "'Kinds' of power is not relevant. I have Psycho Power to solve problems. I have money to solve problems. I have force of arms to solve problems. Power is used to solve a problem and to acquire what you desire." Vega floats forward, deigning to touch the ground in front of her. The man is huge. Six feet tall, but he doesn't look it - he feels seven, just from that odd presence, that larger-than-life force that surrounds him like miasma. He looms over her, looking down at her. "Psycho Power is the power of the universe itself. The anger, the misery, the malfeasant emotions of mankind. The more rage and pain you give it, the more powerful you become, and the more powerful it becomes." "Of course there are drawbacks." Vega's soulless eyes simply stare down at her. "There is nothing in the universe that lacks drawbacks, no power worth having that cannot destroy you. Psycho Power is no different. If your will is weak it will obliterate you. Consume you. Feed upon yu to fuel itself." "But that is the nature of all power." "It does not matter where you go. Money, soldiers, Psycho Power, magic - they turn upon those who do not know how to wield them." "Knowing that, do you still wish to possess it? This ultimate form of power, turning your rage and sorrow into might?"
Sanary Rondel	Awesome. Food! "Thanks." Even with those eyes looking right at her, Sanary's not about to turn down free food and drink. It's not every day she gets free food, after all! "Fair enough. Still, I gotta wonder which one you got first to start getting the others." If she was a betting person, she'd put the money on... Money. It really opened a lot of doors for some people, especially those with the knowledge to use it properly. The axe cleric listens to the dictator's words carefully as he speaks, informing her of his power's source. Its risks. It certainly makes more sense in context of other sources of power, and she can't help but nod slowly as he continues. Quite a lot has happened since their last discussion, after all, and after what had happened recently... She's got a lot of pain to work with. "One step at a time. I'll start with the power and money first before I even think about soldiers. But..." Sanary pauses, taking another long breath before nodding at Vega with DETERMINATION in her eye. "... Yeah. The power I've got isn't enough. I need more of it. Yours, other Confederates'. I'm ready this time. And then she takes a bite of that sandwich. She didn't eat before coming.
Vega	"Psycho Power," Vega tells her, "Psycho Power is the root of all else Vega possesses." The third person may not be accidental. He rises and floats backwards a bit. "Very well, then. Your determination has been made clear. You will be the third true test of the Psycho Drive, the machine that will instill Psycho Power within you. Come. It lies beneath this base." Vega vanishes in a burst of purple fire, ringing his silhouette like a shadow. A group of soldiers, as if summoned by telepathy (maybe they were?), comes to collect her from the room. The wine and sandwich are delicious.
Sanary Rondel	At least that was her second guess! Totally. That use of the third person, sadly, does go dismissed as nothing more than some kind of verbal tic or flair for the dramatic. It's not like Sanary hasn't indulged in a bit of that herself before. "So there's machines involved, then. Okay. Well, as long as it's just putting stuff in and not taking anything off..." The healer holds back a snicker, jumping just a bit when Vega disappears in that flame, then just stares at where he had been standing. How the hell is she supposed to follow /that/? Well, at least that gives her some time to finish off that sandwich and sample the wine. Even though she isn't much of a wine connoisseur, she can at least appreciate the quality of the drink briefly before handing it off to one lucky (?) soldier and following the group. She's not going to get anywhere staying in that room, and just leaving wouldn't get her anywhere. Not after resolving to go through with whatever she needs to get more power. Even if it means getting injected with whatever the hell, she can handle the consequences as they come. "Alright... Let's go."
Vega	The soldiers lead her to an elevator, which leads her down into the base. It is not a long ride, but perhaps that's because all of Vega's technology is really advanced...? It's hard to tell if it's the base's fault, or if it's small, or if it's designed that way to throw off intruders and baffle size. At the bottom, the doors open. The soldiers do not follow her. The room it opens into is filled with a strange, ominous, pulsing purple machine. Vega hangs in the air, looking at the machine. He does not need to announce it. It is obvious to anyone looking that this is the Psycho Drive. What else could it possibly be? What else could need so many tubes, so many tesla coils? What else could have so much power pulsing around it? In the heart of his island, Vega's machine thrums and hums, like a force of nature barely restrained. Vega simply stares at her. "You are the third true test of this machine. You are in no danger - this is the last formal test the Psycho Drive should require, and the chances of your death are extremely minimal. I would not endanger my reputation with the Confederacy for something so meaningless." "This is the final chance to back out. Your determination and need have been heard by Vega. Now take the final step, or leave, and do not trouble again. The offer will not remain open in the future." "It is only the mercy of Vega that it opened this time." There's something unpleasant about the phrase 'mercy of Vega', but it doesn't seem abjectly malevolent.
Sanary Rondel	Stepping into the chamber, Sanary's still looking as determined as ever. Granted, it's only been a few minutes she had last spoken to Vega, but at least none of that earlier bluster has worn off yet! The sight of the strange machine does make her pause for a moment, especially considering all the warning signs that this might not be the safest idea, but... ... Well, she's gotten this far without heeding every possible safety concern. Plus, he /did/ just reassure her that the chances of death are minimal. IT really would be foolish not to be careful with this sort of thing! "Back out? Heh... Maybe if this was a few weeks ago, but... Hell, I wouldn't be here if I was just going to back out again." The healer's even grinning as she approaches Vega and his machine, undoing one of the suit's buttons just in case she needs to avoid getting that caught up in whatever moving parts are inside that thing. "I'm ready this time. Just tell me what to expect before I get... In? On? How it's gonna work, and we can start."
Vega	"Expect pain," Vega tells her, "Grit your teeth and do not speak while the machine is active. Beyond that, you may remain as you are. My Science Divison will do the rest." Vega vanishes in another burst of purple fire as a group of men in red-and-black labcoats, with safety gear on (copious amounts of safety gear), filter in. They offer Sanary generalized soothing words, like "this won't hurt much" or "don't worry, no one has died in the machine in a long time", or "you're very lucky." It's like halfway between a cult, idolizing their Dictator, and an actual legitimate army. It's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Shadowlaw's Science Division carefully help her onto the platform. Restraints extend from the ground on a metal stand, which the Science Division soldiers help strap her into, assuring her that it's for the best. They offer her a gag, like one of those plastic things they put in your mouth to stop you from screaming or biting down on your own tongue. They're very nice. But those reflective masks, lab coats, and all that safety gear... In a few minutes, though, Sanary's all strapped in. The Science Division clears out. Sanary has a moment to contemplate her feelings on the subject, now that she's bound into the machine. It is presumably for her own safety. That gag didn't look like it was for fun. The machine activates. There's a terrible thrum, like the building of force. There's clicking, clacking, a vast door overhead slowly opening to unveil one of those old-timey laser beams, like in a James Bond flick about Roger Moore's bond. It even has rings around the projector! It'd be goofy if it weren't crackling with purple power, lowering slowly towards Sanary as she herself is raised. It fires. The pain is excruciating. Were Sanary not tied down she would probably be clawing at her own arms and legs. It's like having a jackhammer taken to her skull, or air filling a balloon in between the cracks of her brain. Images of pain and suffering - wars, violence, the atom bomb, gruesome murders, starving children, the desperate, the lonely, the angry, the miserable, the downtrodden, those who want to rise up, those who want to throw off their chains, those who want to be more - fill that space, seeping through every part of her. Is this what it's like to be Vega, all the time? No, surely not. That's not a man who cares about orphans and starving people as anything but amusement. And then, whether an hour or a day or a month have passed (but probably less than all of those things), time snaps back to normal, the machine shuts off, and Sanary is slowly lowered back to the ground. A group of the Science Division soldiers hurry over and unstrap her, warily. Vega reappears in another burst of fire, and this time, Sanary is probably aware of it - of his appearance, and of the enormous amount of Psycho Power filling the room as soon as he enters. He stops, hovering in front of her, arms behind his back as he stares at her. "As expected, you survived the infusion. You have much promise."
Sanary Rondel	Pain. Probably a lot of it, if it was mentioned as the only thing to expect at all. Sanary doesn't put much stock in those words from the workers, but she does at least give them brief grins of acknowledgment. They're trying, at least! That gag definitely gives her a decent idea of how much pain to expect, too. She's done surgeries on others with the same sort of device before, and she's even performed one ill-advised surgery on herself! Granted, she had to be dragged out of the Field of Trials that time after passing out way too many times to count, but... ... Well. It should be fine as long as everyone's prepared, right? okay. Maybe it sucks a /little/ bit more once the device actually starts working. Those images dig right into the very core of her mind between the excruciating pain, and some of them even resonate with her on a personal level between all the muffled screaming. Sanary was definitely expecting pain, but on /this/ level? Maybe not so much. Still, she's got no choice but to bear it for as long as it takes. of course, she's not in any condition to even stand up by the time the machine finally finished pumping her full of that... Whatever it did, but she does feel... Different. And not a bad different, either. The pain is a very bad different, sure, but the other thing. Noticing more than she had before, noticing Vega's presence before she can even remember to reactivate her eye and look at him... That's definitely a good different. "Y... You had any doubts...?" Despite the dried tears and the sandwich threatening to eject itself onto the floor, the healer still manages a hoarse chuckle. "Gonna take more than-" And then the sandwich is ejected onto the floor. Well. At least it tasted good going in.
Vega	Vega does not reply to whether he had any doubts or not. This isn't because he had doubts, but because doubts would imply caring, and Vega really may not be capable of that. He watches her throw up with a dispassionate apathy, as janitors (also, notably, armed and armored - SHadowlaw is a scary place, evidently) scramble out to clean up after her. "Use it," Vega tells her, "Let it grow. Feed it your anger, your fury, your hatred, your despair. In times of pain, remember the pain you felt now, and drag it screaming forth to become a beacon of your might. Transform your negative emotions into power, and the power will grow within you until it blossoms and becomes whole." "Use it, and feed it, and there will be no force that can stand against you. Show Vega your determination. Grasp that which you desire. Destroy those you loathe, those who ignite fury in your heart. Do whatever you wish." "Do whatever it takes to satisfy yourself." Vega's lips spread into a horrible rictus-grin. "Feed off their suffering."
Sanary Rondel	A blade powered by anger. Rage. Frustration. Pain. All sorts of shitty emotions that she'd rather not feel, and now... Now, Sanary has a way to let it all out in a physical form. Perfect. Despite that pain still lingering throughout her body and slowing down every movement, the healer actually manages to get back onto her feet! For all of three seconds before falling at the nearest janitor, anyway, getting dangerously close to shoving him right into that mess she left. Thankfully, she does muster up enough strength to get upright again and even pull on the man to keep him from smearing that all over himself. "That's... I like the sound of that. And I... I don't feel dead at all, so." She coughs hoarsely before laughing confidently, even rising to her full height of still-shorter-than-Vega. "I know exactly who to use this on, too."