Jan 24 17:21:54 109 PA - Maybe Psychic Intelligence Works After All

From Chronicles

Jan 24 17:21:54 109 PA.

SAGE'S LIVING SPACE

While Sage has humoured the man's request to be nearby when she makes the attempt, she does opt for some privacy by having the man wait in the living room area instead of the bedroom where she lays her body on her bed. The instructions are pretty simple for the man: If she hasn't checked in after an hour, something has gone wrong. And while she is quiet for some time, it falls well short of the hour mark when she stirs. She doesn't seem to be sluggish like a sleeper when she steps out of her bedroom. "I'm back." She says simply.

Gabriel waits patiently enough, patiently enough for a man who has just asked someone to go out on a mission that he can't do - which under normal circumstances goes completely counter to his own self-teaching. However, when Sage finally breaks through the door, he immediately stands and smiles. "That sounds like it would make a great movie tag-line, if someone could come up with the story. You're safe, in one piece? Brain's still attached?" He looks her up and down as if there might be some kind of visible wound to watch for.

Sage raises a brow to the man's initial comment, before it gives way to a faintly odd look to the last question. "I'm whole... and physically I never changed." She replies, before dismissing the oddness. "At any rate, I wasn't quite sure what to expect and whether I'd need to flee prematurely." She adds, before she walks for the kitchen to get herself a drink and grab a notepad and a pen.

The man waits, not sure if he's supposed to follow or not, so ends up just awkwardly closing the distance to the kitchen without quite entering. "Well... that's good? You don't seem to be in a panic or anything. I'll take that as a good sign?" Gabriel smirks and admits what everyone in the room already knew, "This is my first time using a psychic as a spy, unless you count the stupid Cold War operations with the Pentagon and idiots who got high on LSD thinking that they were in Moscow."

Once the drink is in hand and the pad of paper with pen in the other, Sage makes her way towards the table near the kitchen. "It may have been mildly creepy down there, but no one seemed to take note of me and that's all I really care about at this moment." She explains before glancing to the man with a raised brow. "I'm not sure I should even ask..." She replies, before turning her attention to the paper and draws out three rooms as she encountered them and her estimation for how big they were.

Gabriel allows the rooms to be drawn before asking quietly, "Are these on the main floor, or in a basement?"

Sage glances up from the paper towards the man, "The main floor seems to be what just about anyone could tell you." She mentions, "These are in the basement... which is similar in size if not larger than the top floor." She continues, "The rooms are simple enough to explain briefly. There's a wine cellar that looks like its been kept the same way for quite some time." She comments, "There's a staff dorm that can fit about 10 people." She indicates the next room, "And, there's a medic station ... with a morgue that has 4 bays." She pauses briefly to consider the man's reaction.

The man's reaction is muted. "Four bays for four vampires. Not terribly subtle. Medical station for tapping the waitresses and slave girls. Staff room? Probably for normal operations and running their mundane security as well. I don't suppose you saw any of this?" Gabriel quirks an eyebrow, and while his speech is directed at Sage, his eyes are not. They continue to look at the drawing. "Really thought there'd be more on the upper floor, but if there's not, there's not. How about locks and construction?" He runs down a short intelligence briefing as he's been doing for decades.

"Things were fairly quiet when I went down there, but you are overlooking one thing." Sage mentions, "There are eleven guards down there. In armor and armed." She continues, "I am not sure that they are among the living, though. They move a little oddly. They do not speak to one another. And, it does not appear they take shifts to rest." She doesn't answer the question posed to her for the moment.

"Yes, the security. Outside of the staff room, right? There must be some kind of central atrium?" Gabriel nods his chin toward the small map. "How far down is it?" He backs up his mouth and pauses. "They don't rest, which might imply vampires. Not speaking might imply some kind of mind control. However, unless I've been misinformed by someone who knows well, Donna has no other vampires beyond the three. Could mage or a psychic be controlled somehow from... ah... some kind of central base hub 'brain'?"

"I noticed them as I moved around. They milled or shambled around." Sage replies, "Those are the only rooms that I noticed." She adds, "And, they could simply be animated dead as well." She offers, "As for mind control, one would have to be very powerful or have something sustaining it to manage that number of people I would imagine..." She offers a faint shrug, "I've only run into one such creature that could influence many people and it certainly wasn't human."

Gabriel nods softly, and is quite for quiet a while. "If you would, what are the 'animated dead' and why would someone use them as security? She could hire on any lucid, powerful security that she'd want, with the only issue being a sleeping rotation. In which case, just hire more people to maintain eleven people on the line. What would 'animated dead' do for her?" He leans in slightly and pokes at the map. "Did they have any kind of permanent stations, like posts? Or did they just.. as you said, mill around?"

Sage makes a face at the question, "I have seen the dead walk around as if they still live." She replies, "Some can even use weapons." She adds, "They seem to be able to work towards a simple goal like killing." She adds, "And, they don't seem to be effected by some kinds of weaponry." She pauses, "They did seem to just mill around... but keep in mind that I was only able to look around for about half an hour."

"I understand. One of the best half hours I've gotten since this all started, Sage. Thanks." Gabriel's hand plops onto her shoulder and after his own awkward moment he quickly withdraws it, saying nothing. "Was I right about the bedding for the four vampires? I wonder how secure their own lodging would be if they believe that these... I'll just say 'beings'... can keep them safe." There's a moment's pause before he asks, "What are 'some kinds of weaponry' that don't affect these animated dead, if they are indeed, that.?"

Sage nods faintly, "You are welcome." She says simply, seemingly not paying much mind to the hand on her shoulder as she adds some little details to the map as a remind of what she was able to see. Rough location of the obvious things. "It would seem to be reasonable. I wasn't able to shine any light into the containers and they weren't open at the time." She replies, "As for weaponry that doesn't seem to effect them. It seems to be conventional weaponry like vibro-blades that aren't treated with silver and likely regular bullets." She mentions, "They seem to be effected by energy weapons, but it is possible they are effected to a lesser degree than we would be." She adds with a shrug, "I am sure there are people that can tell you the most effective way of dealing with them."

Gabriel nods and thinks quietly for quiet a while. Eventually, he asks quietly but with a Kentucky twang, "I know that you probably weren't looking for specifics, but how were they armed? Melee? Range? Their armor, was it plate? Environmental? Light, heavy? Or perhaps might there have been any relying on magic and psychic powers, or would these animated undead - theoretically - be unable to use such powers?"

Sage purses her lips as she considers the question, "They had a mix of weapons. Laser rifles, grenades, vibro-weapons... and the armor looked like it could be EBA... not too light or heavy, really." She replies before shrugging. "Not much more I could tell with the time I had."

"I understand. Wasn't a very long time, and you're not trained for it - no offense intended," Gabriel adds. "That's good work, though. I have one more meeting to go to, and I believe that I'll have a final, real, working plan. If I may, however. Just to fill in my lack of knowledge. Assuming that they are the 'animated undead' they are vulnerable to silver - just like vampires. Melee weapons and bullets need to be treated, or will be otherwise useless except to possibly knock 'em over. Energy weapons harm them, but with some kind of blunting affect due to being undead. Animated undead. Wearing some moderate impact body armor, likely to be environmental in nature." He pulls back so that he can once more stand up straight. "Would that pretty much sum up the security detail?"

"I am not entirely sure there is the blunting effect. And, fire would seem to be effective against them as well." Sage replies, "But, I only saw those eleven there for security. Sebastien seems to be pretty capable of taking down undead that we met, though." She mentions, "Never saw him against a vampire, though." She adds with a shrug. "And, other than speculation, I'm not sure there is much to add.

Gabriel smiles again and straightens up, gathering the few things that he'd brought with him. "May I take the drawing with me," he asks has he pulls his greatcoat on to counter the winter weather that he's going to be facing in a few moments. "I guess my last question for you might be the easiest and most obvious - where's the door to the basement?"

Sage takes the drawing and offers it over to the man, "Knock yourself out." She comments, "It wouldn't do you much good sitting in my possession." She comments, before taking a moment at the question about the door. "Ah, yes... that reminds me. The door is more like a vault than a normal door. And, you'll find it back behind the bar on the left."

A nod follows Sage's offered information, and Gabriel extends a hand. "I'd give you a big hug right now, Sage, but I'm not sure if you're ready for that," he says with a smile. "Thanks for everything. I guarantee that it's going to save a lot of lives and bring this thing to an end."

Sage begins to rise from where she'd taken a seat to make the drawing and takes the hand offered for a small shake. A look of faint amusement comes over her features, before inclining her head to the thanks. "You're welcome." She replies before taking a breath and letting it out. "And, one can only hope that it works out for the best."

Gabriel smiles once more. "Thanks, Sage. Tell Ruby that I said hello. I'll be seeing you." A final latch is done up on his coat, and he starts downstairs, heading off with his new information.