The Black Sand Bar:

[notmuch_23]

Vintrict

"Well, I'm sure we'll be speaking to you later. C'mon Bobby, we got some calls to make," Elliot says as he turns to leave. Bobby just sets the book back into its place and walks out behind Elliot.

Once outside, Elliot Stabler goes into the bar to find a phone book, and more specifically, the Durem University's school of medicine.

"What a smug a*****e."
"Knows what he's talking about though, at leas as far as I could see from his work space."
"Well, he's hidin' something, and as soon as we put the screws to 'im we'll have to do the same to Blondie and Crazy guy."
"I dunno Elliot, maybe we have to approach this from a different angle: If we push Zoll, I'm sure he'll push back twice as hard, and we didn't come here to fight a war. Now Blondie we can push: I can see that she's vunerable, and not just 'cause she's a woman."
"Yeah, yeah, I know how tough some women can be; I've been a partnered to two of the toughest women in existence."
"I think we need to start talking to more of the people who showed up here around the time of the murder."

[Arretsu]

Finally unable to take being at the GTB hotel, Ellie eventually returned, needing to smell the ocean air and feel the sand beneath her feet. Being coped up in a place with so much power made her edgy, and feel a little sick.

After returning, she had ventured into the tent cabin her and Damon shared, but would emerge a few minutes later in different attire. The white dress she wore hugged her chest, then flared loose around her petite frame, the airy fabric falling to just below her thighs. Each week that passed, she found that only a few things still fit right, reminding her that she really needed to go to town and get some proper clothing.

Following closely was the beagle that had been left to her care, tail wagging happily as he trailed behind her.

It was good to be back home, she thought to herself as she would pause to stare out at the ocean, admiring the colors of the setting sun. What was now becoming a habit, her hands moved to her belly, and she gently felt for the tiny presence growing within.

[notmuch_23]

The outside of the powerhouse is going up rather quickly, while the large-scale high-pressure plumbing gets installed and the first three steam turbines from General Electric arrive at the temporary docks. The drilling crews keep drilling production wells while the geology team monitors the rock around the wells as well as mapping out where the next production wells need to be drilled. The other four turbines are underway on another vessel while the engineers back at the General Electric plant outside of Akea make the final tests and measurements on what will be the largest production alternators that General Electric has ever made.

[Truest Valor]

Damon had been preoccupied with things outside of his business. But according to status reports he could gather, the cities reconstruction was well underway. As he sat in his room far away from the sands, he pondered whether his lack of presence had made an impact. Chances are that they had, but it was nothing the psion couldn't correct quickly once he returned.

[notmuch_23]

As well as the components for the geothermal mega-sized power plant, container ships stacked high kept pulling into the docks in Oceanside and Puerto Diablo. Thing is, these containers, even though they all measure 8' x 8.5' x 40', like normal containers, but most are wrapped in Tyvek and plastic and visible inside is a small 8' x 8.5' x 40' piece of a building interior, complete with plumbing and electrical connections. Steel skeletons of skyscrapers in progress dot Oceanside and are prevalent in Puerto Diablo, where tower cranes lift each module into place. Once there, laborers quickly connect all of the electrical and plumbing as well as secure each module to the structure and the module below. Every four modules in height, ironworkers install steel floor trusses to support the next layers of modules. Not only are apartments and office space modules being installed, but hallways, staircases, utility rooms, elevator shafts, and even the high-level cisterns are being installed in this fashion: almost everything a building needs, and these buildings are being erected in record time.

It was none other than Thurgood Albert Singlance that conceived, directed, and implemented this method of construction, with manufacturing facilities both close and far away constructing the modules. The best thing about this method is that no matter which company makes the modules, each one has standard plumbing, electrical, and structural connections, meaning that each and every module is interchangeable. It may seem boring at first glance, but modularity facilitates modification.

[Arretsu]

Ellie was sitting in a beach chair with her head bowed and eyes closed. Behind her Kodo stood, sapphire eyes distant as he combed his fingers through her fiery silver streaked locks. Ellie couldn't help but sigh with bliss at the feeling, feeling the tension leave her aching body and pounding headache start to recede.

"Shouldn't you be with mother?" She would speak breaking the silence, and tilt her head back so her turquoise gaze could study his usual stoic face.

"She is off doing something. What it is I do not know, but she insisted for me to keep watch over you." The white haired male said flatly as he studied the petite woman.

Ellie's state was very evident now, her round belly apparent even with the loose summer dress she wore. "I don't need a babysitter Kodo.."

"No...But you have not been feeling well and have been to tired to even gets out of you're bed sometimes."

There came a heavy sigh from the woman and silence would once more fall around them.

[Truest Valor]

"Feels good to be back."

Damon stepped onto the beach and took in a deep breath of the fresh, ocean air. For too long he had been cooped up on the city and surrounded by silliness. Now he was finally back on his island and wanted to try and relax. His match in the GTB had ended early, thanks to some misfortunes. He wanted to put that fight behind him and get some work done.

A few of his own personal soldiers walked up to him and saluted, then casually escorted him back to his tentcabin.

Ellie was sure to be happy to see him!

[Truest Valor]

Damon had taken care of a lot of his personal affairs. He spoke to Ellie, chatted with Stephania and assigned some soldiers to their new patrols. Even though none of the high-profile patrons were around at the moment, the black sands still had a steady flow of customers that were being tended to by iZac.

Now that he had some free time, Damon sat down at the beach and watched the waves roll in. He was thinking about a new ability he'd dreamed up during the tournament. Something that'd allow him to achieve a new level in power

[Arretsu]

Ellie was sitting within the tentcabin her and Damon shared, cross legged in the middle of the floor and head tilted up gaze distant as she stared at nothing in particular. Her hands held a wooden toy car and her fingers gently ran over the smooth pale wood. Her fiery hair spilled over her shoulders cascading down her back and coiling on the floor. The black skirt she wore was fanned out around her form, the white tank top she wore hugged her petite form and her now noticeable baby bump.

The petite woman was lost in her own little world.

[notmuch_23]

During all of the activity and construction in Oceanside and Puerto Diablo, there are a few things worth noting:

-All of the generators and turbines from General Electric have arrived at the powerhouse and two have been fully installed, along with a local substation and the plant's own transformers. Three production wells have been connected to the first for testing, and it is currently producing electricity for the nearby construction crews. Ironworkers are erecting the steel pylons that will carry the current to substations in Puerto Diablo

-Marine construction crews have finished casting and driving all of the concrete piles that will support the two-lane causeway from the Black Sand Island to the mainland. The hexagonal basalt tiles that will pave it and the rest of the highways and roads Thurgood commissioned.

-Alcoa, as part of a push to expand their operations on Gaia Prime, have found what geologists are calling the largest bauxite deposit on the planet just a few miles north of Puerto Diablo and are already sending the first of many parts that will make up their primary shovel. Alcoa is also the company purchasing over 85% of the devastated industrial sector of Puerto Diablo to build the largest aluminum mill ever, which engineers project will consume up to 1.6 terawatts of electricity per hour at full production and produce up to one megaton of aluminum metal per month.

-Aveline is driving an older blue Ford F-950 and an enclosed trailer full of overripe and bruised fruit through the portal and onto the beach.

[Like Totally Not A Mule]

[I'm still alive. I'm working on something different now.

We could use three more players before the adventure launches.]

[BaconBunch]

Like Totally Not A Mule

Ross = Zaphod Beeblebrox.

[Truest Valor]

Damon had grown accustomed to living peacefully with his family, spending his days with them doing everything that normal families do. For the first time in his life he could say that things were all normal and uneventful.

And boy was that s**t boring.

Sure regular sex and activities with his wife was great and spending quality time with his son and daughter refreshing, but the psion had grown up in a world of constant conflict and struggle. He hadn't really used his powers, and only kept them sharp through constant meditation and physical training.

Things had become so normal and average that the day an urgent notice arrived for him requesting his aid in putting down an uprising of loyalists in Puerto Diablo, he nearly did a ********' backflip. He had told Ellie he was heading out in order to help restore the peace in the area, and though apprehensive at first, she wished him her best.

Fast forward to present time---

Reports of attacks on construction crews and LF soldiers had been coming in for a week since Damon and his mercenaries had arrived. Most of these attackers were described as masked men in olive drab with both magic and machine-guns. Since the downfall of the government, loyalists had been hiring mercenaries from all over Gaia to come in and cause problems - and they had been pretty successful thus far. Most construction had slowed to a grind, while some had been completely halted.

Once Damon had noted a pattern to the enemies movements, he geared up with his mercenaries in black body armor and set out to one of the sites most likely to be attacked. In the wee hours of the morning, as the sun had just started to spill vibrant yellow and orange light over the horizon, Damon and his men made their way through the streets and to the construction site. He had chosen to take the lead that morning, and walked briskly as brown vans passed them on the streets.

His plan was to reach the construction site and set up a hidden perimeter. Beyond that he hoped that one of these armed groups would attack and he could capture a few of their operatives. There was no way they could know about Tactical Solutions, as they had been secretly airlifted in over a week ago. The plan had a lot of holes, but was otherwise sound.

Damon found himself hoping for a conflict.

[Kazyan]

By and large, this work was done by the goons of her squad. To be frank, their abilities were better suited. Bullets were impossible to react to, moved faster than she could propel objects with telekinesis, and were much easier to use. Still, she participated, as a backseat presence—literally, in this case. A cheap blue van rumbled down the highway, mercenaries variously either driving or poised in preparation to rush out the back doors. The particularly competent driver carried the watcher of this particular operation in the backseat.

<<Everything looks clear,>> the telepathic message addressed the mercenaries.

In the back of the car, a woman wearing the same olive drab color as the rest of the mercenaries flipped through a novel. She wore black gloves, long sleeves, combat boots and a face mask. Straight dark hair cascaded to her shoulders, matching her outfit—an unnatural dark green. Short but thickly built, she rested comfortably, giving her mind some relaxation in case of trouble
.
The half-mile radius of her mindsight didn't detect anything particularly threatening. No powerful races around…but there was an unusual pattern of minds in the area surrounding their target. Probably nothing, but the psychic made a mental note to be aware of them.

The rumbling stopped as the vans and car stopped, at the construction site. As the mercs flooded out of the van—three of them, followed by the driver as the fourth—she slipped a red bookmark into the book and closed it. She’d have to pay more attention, with the action actually starting.

<<You know the drill. Head on up ahead,>> her telepathy instructed to the mercs alone. Pale eyes looked out of the windshield in front of her. Today shouldn't be a problem. She set the book down and climbed out of the van, following a dozen steps behind the rest of the squad. The psychic lacked weapons besides a small combat knife on her belt, but, well, she didn't need any.

The mercs brandished their machine guns, prepared to assault the construction.

[Truest Valor]

Right off the terrorists would notice that the construction site was completely empty. Damon and his mercenaries had cleared the grounds, expecting the loyalist soldiers to follow their pattern and end up attacking this site. He hadn't guess wrong. Damon figured that he had a window of about ten or so seconds to plan his attack and execute before the terrorists got wind that something was very wrong.

Two men had posted up on a roof across the road from the construction site, their high-powered rifles zeroed in on the van and the men exiting it. Through black specs they stared down the sights of their weapons. The other two had taken up positions facing the road on the ground level. Damon had actually gone inside the site office.

Since they weren't the local military they didn't have to play by any rules of engagement, and could basically make up their own. One of the benefits of being a mercenary in a world where laws against that kinda thing were essentially non-existent.

The psions words came in crisp through the headsets of each one of his soldiers headsets.

"Kill them."

Damon didn't even flinch as he gave the order.

The two men posted on the roof each acquired a target and opened fire, the sharp crack of their weapons echoing through the air. Survivors that attempted to flee back to the van would be met by gunfire coming directly from the foundation of the construction site. Damon watched the opening fireworks from the inside of the office, expecting this to mission to be over quickly. He wasn't the kind of person that liked a battle to drag out.