text ; mirrornet

[superposition]

[Qubit doesn't consider himself paranoid per se, but he is kind of a stickler for network security, so finding Mirrornet was a little like Christmas. So far he's been mostly lurking, but... after a surprise copious windfall of useful information, he's in a pretty good mood. Maybe it's time to throw his hat in the ring, see who picks it up.]

Evening, everyone. My name's Qubit. I know, I know, yet another newbie, but I have already looked over the FAQ, so no worries on that front. Fascinating stuff, really. Alternate timelines always are, but good heavens, if this one isn't a piece of work.

That said, I'd like to make a few requests. First: anything and everything you know about the Porter. Its operations, its patterns, any particular anecdotes... The more specific and technical, the better, but anything's fine. You never know; the most insignificant scrap of information might turn out to be the thread that unravels the entire mystery. [as an afterthought-] Don't feel obliged to repeat Miss Bishop too closely, though, I have that in front of me already.

Second: I'm looking for lab space for a large electronics project. I can tell you in advance it's going to take a lot of power, so if there's already something to that effect set up, that would save me a lot of time. Should be fairly short-term regardless, though - I'm estimating two, maybe three weeks. PM if interested.

Third (or second-and-a-half): Anyone know a bad junkyard? That is, one where they let people dump batteries, monitors, old electronics, etc., especially in bulk? Location doesn't matter, although apparently I could get in trouble for going abroad, and God forbid I do anything to get in trouble.

Anyway, thanks in advance. Sorry I haven't any cute ASCII animals to offer, I hope that won't cause too many problems.

Comments

private + encrypted

[boobwindow]

For all I know you could be pretending to be someone else on the network. The mirror net isn't fool proof.
How about we met? I'll feel a little better having a face to a disembodied voice. Text.

private + encrypted

[superposition]

That's reasonable. Sorry, just texting so I can multitask. Time and place?

private + encrypted

[boobwindow]

Can you get to De Chima?

private + encrypted

[superposition]

I should hope so, I'm living there.

private + encrypted

[boobwindow]

There's a cafe on [ street here ]

Let's meet there. 10 AM?

private + encrypted

[superposition]

[is that the current day or the next day? idk what time it's supposed to be. EITHER WAY not like he has any other appointments, so]

Works for me, see you then. I'll be the one in the green suit.

private + encrypted

[boobwindow]

[ For the next, my bad!! ]

I'll have a pink jacket on.
I'd say keep an eye out for the blond but that might not work out so well.

=> action?

[superposition]

All right, sounds good.

[So the next day, he portals over to the aforementioned cafe at ten o'clock on the dot. Actually, to a parking lot across the street, so as not to startle anyone too badly, but within easy view of the place itself (deliberately). The portal makes a distinctive hum for the few seconds it's open, but he taps the controller on his wrist to shut it behind him as he heads across to the cafe. Technically jaywalking, yeah, but they're in the city, it'd be weirder not to.

He did dress nicely, at least, with a vest and even a tie (which he had to go out and buy; it is also green). This is sort of an interview, after all, and you only get one first impression.

Sooooo yeah. Just lookin' around for a blonde(?) in a pink jacket, don't mind him.]

action

[boobwindow]

[ She doesn't happen to see the portal coming from the other end of the street. The unfamiliar hum would have caught her attention, but she isn't focused on anything in particular and keeping her hearing controlled.

She enters a couple of minutes after Qubit, sporting the pink jacket, dress pants and a turtleneck that hardly seems appropriate for the summer. Isn't she hot in all that? Apparently not as there's no light sheen of sweat to be found on her face or hands.

When she catches sight of the man she's supposed to be meeting today she makes a beeline for him, adjusting her tote bag. ]

Qubit?

[superposition]

[She may be a little overdressed, but he's wearing what amounts to a trenchcoat, so they're sort of even on that front. He looks up when he hears his name, and smiles.]

Yes. Karen Starr? [He offers a hand to her - may as well get the handshake out of the way rather than wait around for it.]

[boobwindow]

That's me.

[ She takes his hand and shakes on it, and in those passing seconds she does a quick x-ray scan of Qubit's figure in order to see if everything is normal, or there's something sinister to be detected. It's a quick glance up and down before she lets his hand go and motions to an empty table. ]

Nice to meet you. I think. [ It's blunt, but it's the truth. ] I'm not going to regret this meeting, am I?

[superposition]

[Qubit has a textbook handshake, firm but relatively brief, well-practiced. The x-ray shouldn't turn up anything too unusual. Physiologically, he's either human or close enough to make no difference, although there's quite a bit of cybernetics in his brain. He's unarmed; the only gadgets on him at the moment are his watch and a larger-than-retail tablet in his coat pocket. If Karen can pick up nerve impulses or anything (the Plutonian could do that, so), she might notice the pain response going on in the hand she shook, but outwardly he doesn't show any discomfort.]

I hope not! But you'll be the one to judge that, I suppose.

[He follows her lead to the table, setting his chair almost sideways so he can face her without the table in between, and crosses his legs European-style as he sits.]

You know, informal or not, it's been a while since I've done an interview like this. You'll have to bear with me.

[boobwindow]

[ So far so good. Sometimes Karen wishes she were telepathic, but she's not sure she could ever commit to reading someone else's thoughts without their consent. She hates having her mind tampered with, why would she want to do that to anyone? Even if she could use telepathy to determine a very simple yes or no answer. Is this all some trick or is he genuine?

She pulls her purse over her shoulder, setting it beside her on the table and crosses her ankles. ]

I'll skip the niceties: who exactly are you? Where are you from?

[superposition]

[Ah, no beating around the bush here. All right, he appreciates that. Granted, he's never been big on talking about himself, but there's no harm in handing out info that was public knowledge back home. She's already got his name, of course, so he can skip that.]

I'm from Earth. Another one, obviously, but not too unlike this. People with superpowers aren't exactly common, but they exist. [He rests an elbow on the table, gesturing absently with that hand while he talks.] I'm one of them. Technokinetic, to be precise.

I worked on a team called the Paradigm, myself and a handful of others. Mostly we took care of threats the world wasn't otherwise equipped to deal with. Supervillains, extradimensional demons... three alien invasions, seems we were a popular destination those couple of years... but you get the idea. Et cetera, et cetera. Other things, too, when there wasn't a global crisis on. Some crime-fighting, some public works. My pet issue's mainly been the environment - which is what initially led me to your company, as a matter of fact. Thought our interests might align in that regard. Not that my project's related much to it, but still...

[boobwindow]

[ All of that sounds incredibly familiar to her even if the names don't line up. She leans in with renewed interest, conveying Qubit's got her undivided attention now. ]

Sounds a lot like the kind of world where I come from. I can't actually count how many alien invasions the world has had to deal with. Then the end of the world situations and your monster of the week scenarios.

[ But she digresses... ]

That's where my concern lies. An interdimensional device is nowhere near the kind of work we do. The amount of resources you're going to need? Not sure if we can provide... if I wanted to.

[ She's still debating. He might have good intentions, but if something goes awry she's jeopardizing the company. ]

You could potentially get a lot out of this and Starrware nothing.

[superposition]

Nothing? [He seems legitimately taken aback that she got that impression, and he uncrosses his legs to lean forward, too.] You'd be getting a way home, Karen. And not just for you and me, but for everyone. That's got to mean something to you.

[boobwindow]

[ He's so sincere, it honestly astounds her. ]

It does. [ She returns the same level of honesty. She wants nothing more than to return to her universe and see her friends and family and team again. ] But how can you be sure you're going to get it to work?

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we've had literal gods here who couldn't beam themselves back into their universe.

[superposition]

[Literal gods, huh. Forgive him if he takes that with a grain of salt; any sufficiently large power imbalance is going to have godhood ascribed to it at some point.]

I'm sure because I've done it before. Many times, and often with poorer resources than we have available here. This isn't some experimental technology we're talking about - it's already well-tested and well-refined. [Not well-documented, because he doesn't document as much as he should, but still.] No divine providence involved, just plain old quantum physics.

[boobwindow]

[ Her hesitation remains. This time she gnaws on her bottom lip, tearing her eyes away to consider the possibility of going home. Not just her being able to go home, but so many others who've voiced quite loudly on the network their desire to return to their own friends and family. Saying no is depriving them of that potential.

But saying yes is opening up so many risks. Why is it the universe sees fit to drop these decisions in her lap? The last time she trusted someone to find a way home he got so many people killed and ruined lives as a result. Alexander Luthor was also responsible for Karen losing her only family again. ]

If I say yes, you have to promise me no one is going to get hurt as a result of this.

[ If she says no, he'll find someone else. This way she gets to keep her own super eyes on him. ]

[superposition]

[That... is a big, sweeping promise to have to make. Automatically, he starts weighing the words in his head - some of the risks are present whether or not he builds a standalone portal, so those may not fall under the umbrella definition, and do you mean physically hurt or financially, short term, long term, or -

... Wait. Shit, he's thinking like a manipulator again, isn't he. Getting legalistic with her language is just going to let him think he's allowed to make excuses, and what matters here, he reminds himself, is his intent more than his actual ability to keep people from coming to harm. (Which is good, because his intent has a much better track record than his ability.)]

No one is going to get hurt as a result of this. [He says it with determination, maintaining eye contact.] I won't allow it. You have my word.

[There's a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this promise is going to come back to bite him somehow. He pointedly ignores it. After all, if he does manage to fuck up badly enough that someone gets hurt, then he deserves the full weight of the consequences.]

[boobwindow]

[ She finally turns her gaze back on Qubit and extends her arm over the table for another handshake. Swear on it. ]

Good, otherwise I'll personally have to kick your rear out an office window.

[ Is she joking? Who knows. ]

[superposition]

[Aw, but his hand's still stinging from the last one... Welp, that's what happens. He shakes her hand again regardless. I swear.

Whether or not it's a joke, it gets a wry smile out of him.] Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that, I've grown rather attached to it.

[boobwindow]

[ He seems so earnest... maybe she's expecting the worse for no real reason. She's been severely disappointed in the past, but the past is exactly that. This should give her hope. ]

I'm sure by now you're aware of where Starrware is located?

[superposition]

Yes. I can start moving things over whenever it's convenient.

[boobwindow]

[ She leans back into her chair, folding her arms over her lap. ]

Alright, I'll see about getting you some space so you can begin work on Monday.