When it came to figuring things out, like where they were and where they were going, Nine had proven himself to be particularly useful.  The vehicle the group had appropriated had a navigation system which Nine was able to use to begin to answer some of the questions which had been staring them in the face since their arrival.

The shore upon which they had gathered was part of a town named Atlantic Highlands.  This town was itself part of a larger community known as Monmouth County, which in turn was a part of a state called New Jersey.  There had been no mention of an Old Jersey in the maps.  This state belonged to yet another larger geographic continuity referred to as the United States of America.  The "big-big" across what the map referred to as Sandy Hook Bay was the massive city of New York, which belonged to an identically named state.  

None of it endured a whiff of the familiar, to any of them. 

One thing everyone did notice, however, was that all the major paths used by these ground vehicles led to New York City.  It was a small thing for Nine to instruct the navigation system to plot an efficient route to their destination - it seemed that the system programming was specifically designed for the task.  It so happened that their location was convenient to a "state road", which connected to a "parkway", which connected to a "turnpike", which allowed access to the city via bridge or tunnel.

As NotBetty drove along the parkway the group decided for the bridge, but there was a crush of stopped vehicles on the road they would have to take to get there.  The pressed on to the turnpike and then the Holland Tunnel.  There was a checkpoint just prior, but not for security.  This one seemed more concerned with collecting a fee.  With Tom's guidance, a smiling NotBetty managed to hand enough bills to the checkpoint attendant that their vehicle was allowed to pass.

The ride through the tunnel was brief, a matter of minutes.  It was well-lit and designed for high speed.  Nothing indicated any sense of the several score feet of water above their heads.  When the vehicle emerged back into afternoon daylight, the landscape had altered dramatically.

Buildings, vehicles, people, so tightly packed in such a small space that the architects of this place decided to escape upwards.  There wasn't a building less than five floors high in evidence anywhere.  The city possessed a life and pulse of its own, too.  Everything seemed faster, more intense.  NotBetty was intimidated by the sudden, abrupt change and responded by finding the path of least resistance and following it.

There was a vibrancy and a dramatic inconsistency in everything they saw.  All manner of people were about - all ages, all sizes, various races, and everyone seemed to have their own style of dress and comportment.  There was no end to the brightly-lit signs and the awnings and the markets selling every kind of thing imaginable. 

Finally their vehicle came to a place that was like the pinnacle of Mount Chaos.  There were throngs of people everywhere.  The signs had become massive temple devotions of light and sound reaching up to cover the sides of the titanic metal and glass structures that loomed over everything and seemed to scrape the clouds in their endless height.  It was more activity than anybody could easily take in.

NotBetty nearly ran into the vehicle that had stopped in front of her, so distracted was she.  Finding a clear space left by that very vehicle along he side of the road, she pulled into the spot and the group got out.  They looked around in wondrous amazement, gaping at the scene before them as the moving crowds parted their flow around them.

"Damn tourists," was spoken often enough that if might have been a greeting, but the tenor with which it was spoken in their direction lent uncertainty to that conclusion.

"It should be easy to hide in this mess of people," Betty mumbled more to herself than anyone else as she took in the crowd.

Betty's voice shook her twin out of the enthralled trance that she was in and she migrated towards the center of their small group.  Her purple velvet bag held tightly in her clenched fist.

"It should be easy to accomplish quite a bit more than just hiding," Ghost agreed. If he had to admit it--and he wouldn't--he was nearly as impressed and intimidated as everyone else. But instead of focusing on the alienness of their situation, Ghost also saw opportunity. He would need to study the city to determine security protocols, the level of justice administered and response, and so on. Possibilities and opportunities jumped out at him nearly as often as he was surprised. He felt almost giddy with the potential for mischief.

"Quite a bit more," he added aloud, a smile creeping across his face.

NotBetty glanced at him, worry and uncertainty written on her face as the crowds continued to work their way around them.  With each passing moment her anxiety seemed to diminish a bit but it was obvious that she wasn't handling the transition as well as her twin.

Nine had stayed in the vehicle, trying to keep his presence circumspect. It was possible that one lone Orang would be lost in the press of Humanity that flowed past the vehicle, but it may also incite attention. They needed to maintain anonymity. He kept fiddling with the vehicle's navigation system, looking for something that would allow them to procure another conveyance.  He assumed the local authorities and, by extension, BlacKnight would be searching for it, and the longer he kept the GPS unit functioning, the easier it would be for them to track it.

There were cars all over the place - parked along the side of the busy street, the occupiers and travelers of said street - but the GPS device noted to Nine that his current vehicle was located just a few dozen meters from a place known as "Marriott".  This Mariott was apparently not just somewhere he could leave his vehicle legally (and it is assumed safely), but it also came up on the list of places which provided temporary housing.

The device was nice enough to offer several local highlights as well.  There was a hospital very near.  There were a number of restaurants or all manner of names, styles, and tastes.  There was also a number of electronics stores, which certainly peaked his interests as he realized that his memory on the subject was fairly intact and complete.  

Al turned through 360 degrees, breathing in the amazing surroundings, searching for something that might be familiar.  Hundreds, thousands, of details assailed him from all sides and he drank it all down.  His size drew the odd glance from passers by but they seemed content to give him a measure of space, greeting him with "damn tourist" as they passed.

"Now what?"  He threw the question out to the group.

In response to the question, NotBetty leaned her forehead on the Asian's upper arm.  She then promptly covered her ears with her hands and closed her eyes.  "BigBig loud."  She murmured unhappily, but there was no sign of the flight that she'd exhibited at the house when her senses had become overloaded.

"Yes it is," Ghost agreed. "It's very loud. But that's okay." Ghost didn't move, allowing NotBetty what comfort she could attain from his presence. "Let's find lodging, first. Temporary or otherwise, we need a place from which we can procure what equipment we'll need to track our elusive antagonist. Either a place with a great deal of people or a place with no people at all. Either would afford it's own brand of security."

 Nine spoke up. "I may have found a temporary tholution to a couple of problems. We are near a place called Marriott. It provides lodging on a temporary bathith. It altho has a large vehicle bay for it's residents and employees. We should be able to procur different transportation at need.  There is a medical facility nearby, a few eateries, and other locations that will provide us with much needed rethourtheth. If we can aquire lodging we can use it as a temporary bathe camp to regroup, educate and supply ourthelves. I thuggest that Betty and Tom be the ones to attempt to procure lodging. Betty can uthe her abilities if nethethary and Tom being the motht nondethcript of us. We should vacate thith vehicle quickly though. I'm quite thertain that it is trackable, and if not currently being trathed, then it will be quite thoon." 

"Good. Good." Tom said briskly. "That's a start." He looked over at Betty. "My guess is that we'll have to rely on your trick to get us in. This place is one of rules, and all it's citizens seem to carry identity cards that we lack. Are you prepared to do what must be done?"

Betty gave a succinct nod in response to the question as she briefly met the old man's eyes.  She was eager to play with her powers again.  The pretty blonde continued to take in her surroundings, particularly the actions of the women passing buy, picking up on appropriate behaviour in their new setting.  Fashion was eclectic and she spotted women dressed in all manner of styles, which would only help them blend in.  Behaviors also ran a gamut from quiet and withdrawn to loud and boisterous.  She was free to be herself in this place, it seemed.

"I'd like you and she," Tom said to Ghost and Not Betty, "to get with Nine and find a place that you could leave this transport that's not close by to this Marriott. Perhaps leave the keys to the device in the open in the hopes that it's taken?" 

Ghost nodded once. "I'll take care of it." He paused, considering. "We should leave very soon, then, to avoid associating us with this location. How will we find you again?"

Nine considered the question briefly as he bent the larger portion of his attention to the task assigned, finding someplace to leave the vehicle. "We have theveral communications devithes. Though, until I can acquire thome tools and time, I would not use the handhelds. The ear pieces should thuffithe, as long as communications are kept to a minimum, and we are careful in what information we communicate.  Their limited range is an issue, however. I'll adjust my search parameters accordingly." 

Nine flipped open one of the clam shell computers they had acquired from the house. He was frustrated to discover the device still had no access to the datastore. During the trip here, Nine had discovered that they did not have universal access to the datastore called the internet. Upon closer examination of the device and the operating system, he'd discovered that the computers were set up to access the greater datastore through a wireless network set up in the house. The communications protocols and limitations of the built in hardware apparently limited the range of the device to approximately 50 to 100 feet from the networking hub. Of course, building materials would certainly affect that range, as it appeared to be based on a certain range of radio frequencies.

Again he was frustrated by his lack of tools. He suspected the computer acquired from the Police vehicle would have a slightly different setup, one with greater range and access, however, it was currently not functioning, probably due to damage caused by his hypersonic transmitter. He needed tools and time to diagnose and repair the device.  while he was at it, he might as well work on boosting the devices, his mind already spinning out potential upgrades to all of the devices they'd acquired so far. Yes, he decided. he would have to discuss the acquisition of supplies with Ghost.

Pushing aside his growing list of supplies, he bent his mind to the search,using the vehicle's databanks. He searched for a site, of sufficient distance to avoid connection with the Marriott, within or not too far out of range of the ear piece communications devices, one that had a relatively discreet route back to the lodging place.

He found a likely locations south west of their position. A large underground parking structure approximately 20 blocks away. He plotted a route back for himself, using the roofs and small alleys to avoid detection. Ghost and his sidekick could easily just walk back without attracting any attention, especially in the press of humanity the flowed along the pedestrian walkways. He calculated his route would take longer for him to arrive, but that would allow them time to find entry into the building for him.

Nine relayed his findings and tentative plan to the rst of the group.

Ghost simply nodded, accepting the location and the walk back without comment.

NotBetty lifted her head up, her long blond hair falling in messy tendrils down her face.  "Mine drive."  She said as she looked back towards the vehicle, a vague understanding of what the bald man wanted them to do. 

Ghost smiled and nodded again. "Yes. You'll drive."

The odd twin moved back towards the vehicle, slowly and cautiously, jumping and gasping once when a stranger bumped into her.  The SUV represented a sort of shelter for her and she was happy when she found herself in the driver's seat again.  And happier still once her anchor was settled in beside her.