Notes taken by Alastair and Samantha Beadle.
Session 4.9 Index Session 5.1
Events Between Now and Session 5.1
Noesis has been having his shell fixed by Professor Barker, it having taken more damage from the nuclear explosion that blew up Project Safeguard than was first thought. Professor Barker advises against close proximity to nuclear explosions in the future.
Once he is fixed, Noesis sends off some genetic samples (that he has acquired from somewhere unknown to the rest of the party) to Professor Timothy Blank for analysis.
He also hears the 'news' of his drug problem. This does not please him. He releases an explanatory note to the Guardian, explaining that he needs the 'drugs' to survive. The Sun, the worst culprit for exaggerating and misquoting John Doe's original remarks, gets a significant amount of Noesis' contempt in the release.
Noesis then phones up Truth.
On the Wilberforce Throckmorton Device II, the London Knights are waiting for the Lost Girls to arrive for the planned rendezvous. The phone rings. Truth answers it - it's Noesis. She describes recent events to him, including the party we had earlier (Blitz asks her not to mention us taking the boat downstream whilst drunk).
We watch daytime TV whilst waiting for the Lost Girls and Noesis. The news is favoured by most but much channel hopping and bickering is also involved. Void seems particularly depressed to find out what sort of world he has ended up in.
Note: At Servo's instigation, the WTMDII has had high bandwidth Internet access installed while we were away in space.
The news contains some mention of our presence around Highgate but no details. The media have asked STOP about what was going on, but they state, "no comment." Noesis' drug allegations and his defence are also in the news.
Noesis arrives via an underwater route (Servo has not got around to installing the underwater door yet). He appears dry as his force field protected him the water. He gently prompts Void for a genetic sample, but Void is dubious about giving him such.
There is knock at the door. It is The Lost Girls, bearing carrier bags. "We have brought Chinese," they say as they enter. They are wearing civvies, but still all look the same as in superhuman guise. John Doe makes a burner to keep the food warm.
Scarlet is curious about the fungus people. Truth tells all (surprise!).
"Hmmm" says Scarlet.
Mestnusen, however, looks dubious.
Noesis is also interested, particularly in the abducted fungus person and the morality of what 'She' is doing, bringing people back from the dead and interfering with the 'natural' course of events.
"You can talk, brain-in-a-jar man!" states John Doe in response to this.
Noesis is placated by the fact that we have handed the issue over to the proper authorities.
Noesis is also told about the invitation to Number 10 tomorrow.
We have beer and Chinese food (John Doe makes the chopsticks, but the Lost Girls all use forks). Scarlet offers Noesis a can of coke and a straw - he declines.
Sven wanders in. "Is this going to be another party?" he asks.
Truth blabs about the drunken sailing of the boat down-river during the previous party. Noesis decides he doesn't really want to know.
The plan for John Doe, Truth and Void to go into space to rescue Adam is briefly discussed. Noesis is also invited on the mission. He decides that he would rather the John Doe Pink Octopus spaceship is tested first. Then it is realised that John Doe cannot generate oxygen (which Noesis does need - though he has internal tanks they need to be replenished from somewhere) and that Noesis could not help find Adam because he needs to be able to see his target - so it seems too much trouble to take him after all.
It is also noted that we do not know if the Acanti dived into the sun after we left it.
"So is Noesis really on drugs then?" asks Kate Bodkin.
We discuss what to do tonight. The idea of stuffing Blitz down a sewer to cure him of his claustrophobia is discussed. Blitz is not very keen on this idea.
The idea of trying to catch a UFO receives more attention.
The party goes off to put the UFO capturing plan into action. The plan seems to involve large quantities of alcohol, particularly for John Doe, Blitz and Truth.
Noesis detects minds in some of the UFOs, some human-like, but not fully human and some not at all human. He does not detect minds in all the UFOs, however.
Noesis attempts to grab a UFO with his telekinesis. John Doe makes himself into large, sticky nets. Blitz chases them around the sky. The Lost Girls accompany us, watching from the top of buildings and occasionally from the back of a John Doe dragon (none of them can actually fly).
When John Doe tries to use sonic weapons (i.e. screeching really loudly) the locals start to get irritated, so he stops.
The night wears on. We get more and more drunk. No UFOs are captured.
John Doe, Scarlet and Blitz go off to party the rest of the night away. The others return to various homes for the night.
Truth wakes up bright and early with no ill effects. Noesis is slightly hung over.
John Doe and Blitz wake up on a large transmitting tower in the middle of Crystal Palace Park. John Doe is not hung over after taking large quantities of drugs along with lots of Thames water. Blitz is not feeling too bad either.
John Doe remembers Scarlet wanting a Kebab at some point in the night and wandering off - parts of her body shifting to her 'real' form at random as her concentration was lapsing due to an excess of drink.
They go for breakfast. John Doe grazes the grass and chews on antennas. Blitz finds a 'Death Van' and has crispy bacon sandwiches with brown sauce.
On the Wilberforce Throckmorton Device II, Kate Bodkin wakes up and asks where Scarlet is. Truth explains that the party crowd did not return. They decide to phone around to find out what happened to them. Kate Bodkin does this by just concentrating - presumably telepathic powers or something.
Truth arranges to meet John Doe and Blitz in Downing Street for the meeting with Parker Travis. Kate Bodkin relays that Scarlet is 'somewhere' in London, trying to use her memorised A to Z to find out where exactly.
Noesis and Truth work out a bus route from the WTMDII (in St Katherine's Dock) to Downing Street, and head off. The bus drivers boggle a bit as they use their STOP passes to get on board. The children travelling to school are also impressed.
Truth notices that some children are about to graffiti Noesis. When they realise they have been noticed they stop and look innocent.
When the appropriate time comes John Doe turns into a pillar of fire and heads for Downing Street. Blitz flies off after him.
John Doe lands in Downing Street. Truth just wanders through the gates. Blitz and Noesis go to the gate and allow the constable on duty to tick their names off on the register.
We approach Number 10 itself. Parker Travis comes to the door to meet us, and we go in.
He leads us into the same office as before. He tells us to make ourselves comfortable, and offers us coffee. John Doe turns into an Eastern Guru and hovers in the lotus position a few feet off the ground.
"I am sure you have noticed in the news over the last couple of days that questions have been raised in the house about SI-12 and investigations have been promised," says Parker. "There is an investigation in progress now, by STOP. They were deemed to be the best qualified for this job."
"Has anything been discovered about the space station?" asks Truth.
"Mrs Rotherwood was a properly accredited member of SI-12," he replies. "She had been recruited out of the Security Services. We think that she was given magical training by SI-12. There are hints of that in some of the SI-12 records that we have found. There are definite signs of dodgy dealings of many kinds - building an organisation outside the normal chain of command, for one. We have not yet found anything out about the 'secret' prisoners on Project Safeguard."
"Of course there is this ATD organisation as well," he continues. "I am not sure how much we can find out in that direction though, as they appear to be an American organisation, and the Americans do not seem to be performing any similar investigations."
Certain elements of the US media (and the US government) have been blaming us for the destruction of Project Safeguard. A joint USA/EU public enquiry into its destruction is starting.
They have not made any arrests yet but do expect to, says Parker. There is no evidence that SI-12 members are going to ground as a result of this investigation. He says secret military funding ('black funds') was financing the SI-12 organisation.
Noesis declares his intention to go on holiday to pursue his own private project during this lull in organised and supervillain crime. He goes on to put forward a theory regarding the removal of predisposition towards crime from the gene pool by selective breeding and other eugenic practises; this does not get a terribly good response from anyone else. His private project is (John Doe falls asleep at this point) to determine whether there are genes susceptible to UARN (the disease that ate his body).
Noesis then asks if secret military records can be released to responsible people (not to Truth of course; Truth sulks at this) so that we can assist with the investigations. Parker Travis makes a note to see if this will be possible.
The Americans have been asked about the time machine under the Pentagon, but so far they have not responded.
Truth asks how the SI-12 cameras picked her up previously. Parker Travis does not know. He says he will investigate. John Doe has started to tumble slowly in the air in his sleep.
Blitz asks who in STOP is heading the investigations into SI-12. He is told it is an Inspector Cameron McLean, from STOP Edinburgh.
Noesis asks if the government is pleased with the general outcome of he Project Safeguard operation. Generally they are, although they are not happy about losing the space station they do realise that the alternative (Brood infested super villains on Earth) was worse.
Noesis also asks about the mushroom people. Parker Travis is aware of this situation, but after only one day (John Doe spins upright again) there has been no progress as yet.
And that seems to be about it. Parker shakes our hands, and we leave.
On the way out, at Blitz's suggestion, Noesis checks that Parker Travis still only has one mind - he does. Phew.
Noesis goes home. Blitz goes back to the WTMDII. Truth and John Doe pick up Void and head off into space on 'Mission Rescue Adam from Solar Orbit'...
Time passes...
On reaching the approximate location of the explosion of Project Safeguard, there are no signs of anything left. An initial search shows up no debris whatsoever. A longer search over a couple of weeks also shows up no debris whatsoever. Void gets very, very bored. They return to Earth.
There is a major enquiry about Project Safeguard, what happened, why, and how. It is held under the auspices of NATO. All of NASA, the ESA, the US government and the EU are involved. The London Knights and Flux are invited along to testify, and do so.
The enquiry opens with a big memorial service for those who were lost with Project Safeguard.
Noesis distances himself from the 'lets release all these political prisoners' decisions made by the other members of the London Knights.
The conclusion of the enquiry is that, given the circumstances, things went about as well as could have been hoped for. Commander Perrallta and the other members of the Project Safeguard crew and given posthumous decorations for valour.
Another outcome of the enquiry is that two new international projects are announced:
Since their unscheduled return to Earth there have been rumours that the Red Lotus has been seen in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the USA, while Ultraman and The Reckoner have not been heard from at all. So far.
The STOP investigation of SI-12 accuses various high ranking members of that organisation of gross misuse of public funds and other illegal activities related to building a large, independent organisation outside of government control. All of the accused claim to have been doing it for the good of the country. They are locked up for some time. SI-12 is purged and returned to the government fold.
Word about She and the fungus people slowly leaks out to the general public, then a news crew gets to interview one of them. At this point STOP step in and announce what has been going on. A select committee is set up to discuss the issues involved, and STOP work to avoid any problems between the public and the fungus people.
Between achieving minor celebrity status as a special effects prop for the BBC, John Doe investigates his past as a garden shed at 25 Laurel Road, Teddington. He has four leads - Robert Allinson-Hyde and Margaret Simms (neighbours of the house in whose garden was the John Doe garden shed) and four soldiers who had served in the 3rd Irish Regiment with Dr Peterson, the houses owner, who vanished in 1947.
Hmmm...
Session 4.9 Index Session 5.1
Events Between Now and Session 5.1