The Flood's Coming

Participants:

alia_icon.gif elisabeth2_icon.gif

Scene Title The Flood's Coming
Synopsis Alia and Liz have a conversation that brings unexpected information.
Date Dec 10, 2010

Redbird Security Solutions


The clock shows about 11:57. Alia had arrived just moments before, and seems to be using sissors, and tape, to assemble… printings of paintings. Very HIGH detail ones. The woman looks a touch bit tired, but isn't complaining, beyond the cup of coffee kept on the opposite side of the table from where she is working. Her skateboard is parked near the door, and on the coat rack hangs her normal leather jacket, black hat, and Space Invaders scarf.

So many things have happened this week, it's probably not terribly surprising to find that Elisabeth is burning both ends of the candle. And she's likely about down to the stub, too. At least the shadows in her face would indicate it. The blonde steps in, wearing a pair of comfortable blue jeans and a long-sleeved V-necked blouse beneath a heavy, beat-up fleece-lined black leather jacket. She looks like she'd be right at home in some of the seedier parts of town, what with the black boots that encase the lower parts of her legs.

Shutting the door behind her, she glances around and is surprised to find Alia doing…. that. Liz is glad to see the technopath, though — she knows the young woman's intelligent, but sending word via paper and pen? Well… not entirely sure Alia'd get it. "Hey," she greets mildly. And then curiously she looks over Alia's shoulder while she takes off her jacket. "What are the….?" She trails off, peering intently.

Alia smiles at Liz. "Paintings. Precog. Gift from Cat. Long story. Resident Joker asked for them." It's a stretch of a joke, but one that might actually be followed. SHe sets down the work, then says something a bit more serious. "Had a visitor yesterday afternoon. Application for employment. After she tried poking around computers Technopath wise." She pauses a minute. "She works for Warren. Think she was looking into our Joker."

Resident joker? At this moment, Elisabeth can't begin to fathom who Alia might consider a prankster around here. We're all wound so damn tight, she can't even remember the last time anyone smiled much less joked around. For a long moment, she looks at the technopath blankly. "I'm sorry… who?" And then the information about another technopath hits her, and those lovely blue eyes turn to ice. "Really." It's not so much a question as an implied demand for more information.

Alia digs a photocopy of the application out. "She was looking into Card. Disabled our cameras. Seriously long range. Looks like a bum. has an iPhone. Likely for storage. Odd taste in … entertainment." Alia makes a face. "Noticed cameras misbehaving, more traffic then usual. Went to find out why, found her." She pauses a moment, then digs out another paper document, printed. It's a dossier on one "WhiteRabbit", a hacker from the 80's who had more than a few claims to fame. "Scared of FRONTLINE she is. Maybe should change name to 'Flea-N-Tic'?"

Once again, the technopath gets the blank look from the weary operations director of both FRONTLINE and Endgame. The joke went entirely over her head obviously. Elisabeth takes the application and skims it. "Find out what the fuck she's up to," the blonde instructs bluntly. "I just had a little tete-a-tete with Warren myself, and if he's fucking with me, I will ram his teeth down his throat for him and then put a bullet in his brilliant little psychopathic brain." She looks up at Alia, skimming the paintings. "Richard's gone on…. hiatus or whatever the fuck he's actually doing. When you're done putting these together, would you mind bringing me hard copies? Don't do much of anything via text or digital. Wireless's ability has been compromised — switched to another person's body — and that person we do not want privy to any traffic that may come through. In point of fact, I want you to make sure this place and any data traffic in or out of it is even more encrypted. And when you're done with that, I need you to pay a consultant visit out to Red Hook for me. I have a prototype that Warren built in my arsenal that he's just informed me he tweaked and it may very well be developing sentience or some such shit. And if it is, I want the fucking thing sabotaged. Preferably instantly."

Liz pauses. "Belay that last. Just … come out and take a look at it for me, okay?" She sighs and shoves her hand through her hair.

Alia smiles thinly. The technopath, for once, is a step ahead "Wireless. Already heard. Network is as secure as possible short of cutting it off." She sighs, "… if wouldn't cripple us, would suggest it." Then Alia nods. "Saw Richard this morning. And Cat." She sighs. "Red Hook. Tomorrow morning? Promised to be at Library tonight with these. Try to dig more out of the Rabbit when next talk her."

Alia diplomatically doesn't mention walking the lady in at sword-point. It seems like a bad time to mention it. She does pause a moment. "Likely the Rabbit programmed it. Wing-prototype?" She finally notes. Warren couldn't program his way out of a paper bag, and she happens to be quite aware of this. The technopath flicks her attention to one of the computers, which sets another copy of the images, this time one-pagers instead of 'full size' printing for Liz since she asked for hard copies.

"Yes, the wing prototype," Elisabeth replies quietly. "And good…. since he's at least speaking to you, you can let Richard know that Warren's concerned that between his hardware tweaks to Hector Steel's designs and the programmer there is the possibility of the prototype becoming defiant and possibly dangerous depending on what it's independently gleaning from the orders it's being given. Sentient." She walks to the printer to retrieve copies of the paintings. "If he wants to do something about Warren's little sideline, I'd like to be kept in the loop." Her tone is …. annoyed, at best. "I'll keep in touch with Peyton about the bitch." There's a grimace. The last thing Liz wants is a technopath who can't be trusted around here. "You'll keep close tabs on her acitvities? Keepign your enemies closer is all well and good, but I don't want her picking up anything sensitive."

Alia smirks at Liz, and hands her one physical component. It's… the power supply and power cord to a PC… namely the one downstairs. "Everything up here past her ability to get through." THis Alia is sure of. That leaves… cellphones. "Left a photo of her at desk. Noted cameras not trustable." She sighs. "Seemed interested in her boss's habits." She frowns. "Was looking for info on Richard's past."

Elisabeth frowns and demands in a tone that is defensive and a body posture that is extremely protective, "What about his past??"

Alia shrugs. "Any of it. Rabbit was looking. And failing to find much." She adds that last as a bit of a mystery to her. Most people these days, you could at least find SOMETHING beyond their last few years of existance if you dug hard enough. A fellow technopath really shouldn't have that much trouble unless someone else went and deleted a lot of history.

And that thought …. hits Elisabeth about the same time. "What do you mean she didn't find much?" The blonde looks puzzled. "Aside from the wiped criminal record, there are juvenile records and birth certificates and his baptismal and confirmation records available, I'm sure." Part of her is curious now. But …. Nibbling her lower lip, Liz says, "If you figure out what exactly she was looking for, let me know, please?" Elisabeth does not like that Warren's digging into Richard's past.

Alia nods. "On the to-do list. After Library. Then securing down Villiage Ren, double strength." Sounds like the Technopath has scheduled herself a busy night. And Alia doesn't seem to like the idea either. She doesn't trust Warren either it seems. She folds up the 12 paintings. "Tomorrow, limited copy of something… touchy, that Richard wants public eventually here. Namely… Cat's database." She is still a bit in shock about this turn of events, honestly.

Wait, what? What? "He wants what??" Elisabeth demands, stunned. "He wants them… he wants you to broadcast them now, or just retrieve them now?" Because … Elisabeth has access to them. Not like it's hard to get.

Alia grins. "Cat agreed." She says simply. "Piecemeal public broadcast. Senators, Judges, some others, a bit more… whole cloth. We give some files back in exchange." She has access to it too… if nothing else, Alia maintains the system the computerized version was hosted on until recently. Cat wiped all but the portable copies on the eighth in semi-paranoid preperation for a possible raid.

That Cat would agree doesn't surprise Liz at all. Both eyebrows shoot to her hairline, though…. Richard's new "throw information into the public domain" stance is …. somewhat mind-boggling. "Wow. Okay." She rubs her forehead. Wow.

Alia frowns a moment at the expression on Liz's face, then offers the rest of her coffee to the woman. "Sit down?" It's a request, and from the look on the Technopath's face as she looks around to make sure there's NOBODY around to overhear… or to try using a cellphone to overhear at that, whatever else Alia has to say is… going to be WAY less then enertaining to talk about.

What. the. fuck? Elisabeth actually moves to do as instructed, so tired and befuddled now that she can't quite make sense of it. She accepts the coffee, and looks up. "I can't block the sound, but so far as I know, there's no one around," she murmurs. "Lay it on me." Because whatever else she's going to say, it's clear to Liz that she doesnt' want anyone to know.

Alia nods. "Richard found out who in charge at Institute." She speaks in a low tone. "Apparently. Him from another time." Alia herself shakes her head and folds up the printed paintings as she lets what she said soak in before continuing. "Think he is out to upset other him's plans. By upsetting 'planned' future. Likely… by chaos to the line."

After a sip of coffee, Elisabeth says quietly, "I've known that for some time," she says. "You missed that announcement from us the other night." And then she smiles — it's a genuine smile, the first real one she's had in weeks. Because he's not giving up. He's not just washing his hands of it all. And in spite of it all, he's also not leaving her to deal with the Institute alone. Dropping her head back, Elisabeth struggles to keep tears brought on by relief and exhaustion at bay. "Well, I guess Dick has a couple of major flaws…. believing love will continue to render me blind…. and forgetting just what he's like when you piss. him. off," she murmurs softly. Shoving her head upright once more, Liz wipes her cheek and grins with glee. "He's in such deep shit. He doesn't even know it yet. He's forgotten just what a formidable force we are together. Let's make some noise."

Alia grins a little. "Oh we will. Remember jammers? Other goal for tonight. New program. Turn them into broadcasters." She grins WIDELY at this little tidbit.

If she had the energy, Elisabeth would whoop with laughter. Instead, the sparkle in those blue eyes will have to do. "Let me know if you guys need anything from my end. I'm giving him as much space as he needs to run his operation. I've got one of my own that's in the works."

Alia nods. "Keep eye out for Ms. Rabbit. Rabbit may be armed." she adds mildly. There was that whole 'threat' to shoot Alia that Alia really didn't take seriously at that point and range, since there was already a blade well involed in the mess at the time. "Run her off if you have to. Unless Peyton hires her." Alia shrugs. "I bes go." she pauses. "Midtown Library." She says simply as she reaches for a folder in her packpack, to put the folded pictures into

"I know," Elisabeth says with a faint smile. "Talk to you in a couple of days about the prototype in Red Hook," she says. "Text me with a time and date. I'll be expecting you," she says, not getting up from the chair. She drops her head back again, thinking about all that's been said.

Alia smiles. "Expect one tomorrow." She says simply as she slips her outdoor wear on, and heads for the door and her skateboard. It was time to go find out what the supposed King on this odd board was up to.

Pursing her lips, Elisabeth sips from that coffee. Well, Dick…. Quite frankly, I am pretty goddamn sure that you're not going to see this one coming. Hope you're ready for the flood.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License