text.

[selfequipped]

[The silence of Matt's office on Tuesday morning was a relief for Kate. It gave her time to think, to sort out her thoughts, and try to figure out where to go next. Given everything (given Miami and Nonah), it's difficult to figure out where to begin. But she has to begin somewhere ... and provide at least one announcement of her own.]

Hi, it's Kate again. I guess you can all see that, and don't get me confused with our other fabulous Kate. I couldn't do red hair if I tried it, and I especially couldn't work it the way she does.

I wouldn't do this as a textual communication, but there are a few things of note to cover! From my perspective, one of these is self-interested, but the rest of it is hopefully of interest to you.

First, I've joined with Matt Murdock at his firm as a secretary. It's grueling work. Very grueling. I sharpen pencils at least three times a day. But if you missed his wonderful message, we're two unregistered individuals making it in this world, and we haven't received any penalty. [The "yet" is typed and then backspaced. It's only typed and backspaced for her own benefit. She likes seeing it.]

The other half of my duties will be as a private detective. I intend to use the ability granted to me by the porter—psychometry—to advance my investigations, but only when needed. I'm offering my services to people here, but I'll be conducting my own investigations when they come up. Some of you can guess why. [She is still a superhero, anyway.]

The rest of the information is relevant to circumstances that have passed. Kanaya made a very good point, but I think we also need to be aware of the government's involvement in everything. I've been skirting around it, but I'll be more straight forward now.

1. Captain Holiday told me that the freedom and rights that we have offered to us are far more than we're supposed to be getting. We're lucky, and he's looking out for us. I'll grant him that, but that means there are people in the government who disagree with this decision, and if he was removed from his position, we'd be seeing a very different tune. I wouldn't be surprised if we are in certain areas.

2. However, Captain Holiday also lied to me when I asked about the porter. To clarify, he said they never had control over the porter, when evidence in this world's history books say something entirely different. While they had control over it before, they no longer do—or so he says. I don't know how much of his information is informed by our public communication, but he claims that Lachesis synced up with the porter prior to the first string of imPorts' arrivals. When that happened, they lost control of the porter.

These combined facts make me think they do lack control of the porter.

3. We're only given information on a need-to-know basis, but that's a given.

4. Attacks aside, I'm still left wondering why they want us to go to Mars. Go ahead with your conspiracy theories, because I've definitely thought of all of them. None of them are all that great.

5. The government does have a way to track us if we leave the country. I think we can all put two and two together on how much of our activity they can keep an eye on at any given moment.

6. There is a Homeland Security here because of the Cold War between ourselves and Russia.

I'm not saying that the government is behind the attacks. I think that wouldn't be very smart of them, and it'd be a risky decision. We imPorts aren't coming out looking rosy after them, because we look like a threat to their people. They could easily cut their ties to us if they wanted, and they haven't yet. I think that's something we have to consider as a future possibility, but no time soon.

That said, in reference to Kanaya's message, the government did have Eden East put on a great party for all of us, and there were several strange things that came out of that. The disease, the room that started to feel like it was fire, and the bird that attacked us all. That was a government sanctioned event, and not everything appeared to be a threat from an external source.

I do think we're in a position where we need to line up the acts to find answers, so this is the information I've found. I'm eager to welcome more information from all ends. I think we've all had very different experiences so far.

Thanks, and as always, feel free to ask questions.

Comments

text;

[notdaredevil]

If you're tired of sharpening pencils, I can always find more documents to file. Or you could read this novel out loud when I get back.

[Don't actually do that.]

switches to voice for matt

[selfequipped]

I like seeing how sharp I can get the pencils before they are too sharp to use.

It's a very careful science.

[glowsferatu]

The Porter Changed
That
Well
It Explains Some Inconsistencies With Their Prior History
That It Seems When Imports Left It Was By Choice
Either Theirs Or The Governments

But I Dont Like The Implications Of It

[selfequipped]

That is why the history is inconsistent, but it doesn't make sense for why he lied to me in the first place.

[selfimage]

[remember that thing you asked about before Kate? well, he hasn't conveniently forgotten about it in the oodles of fun they've been having lately.]

Would you like another bullet point for the record, Detective Kate Bishop?

That sounds great when I say it aloud.

[selfequipped]

I rather like the sound of it myself.

What is that bullet point Makeup Salesman Loki?

video;

[iampretty]

I can at least offer an opinion on the Mars one. Exploration, of course. If you have the means to build an empire, why not go ahead and do so?

video;

[selfequipped]

So you think they want to take claim of another planet entirely, and we're the ticket?

text;

[earnedmystripes]

ananke said they didnt build the porter and cant remove or turn it off

is that a lie too?

text;

[selfequipped]

They had a porter before Lachesis synced up with it, so that one is definitely a lie. They might not be able to turn it off now, but according to the records, they had it running for a while before.

video

[attractedtodarkness]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I fucking hate politics.

[and conspiracies too. They come with the package]

When did the disease happen?

video

[selfequipped]

Early February—it hit after the first swearing in event. Possibly during.

audio;

[dragony]

[ She could comment on Lachesis, or government conspiracy, or how much of everything will always be a matter of us and them.

But instead: ]

Psychometry?

audio;

[selfequipped]

The ability to touch things and end up with its memories. It seems to vary on what I get. Sometimes I get a load of information, sometimes I just get faint impressions. I think the significance of what happened to that object matters.

Voice

[viced]

Are you really surprised that they're keeping the cards close to their chest?

I mean, we're in the Cold War, of course they're not going to fuck around with sharing information with everyone. Hell, the fact that they came clean says a lot right there.

Voice

[selfequipped]

It's not a matter of being surprised or not—we're in a situation where a lack of information is hurting both us and their citizens.

They'd be wise to start coughing up information.

Voice

[liverletdie]

[ For once, he's not going to be an ass.

He's really not. ]

I knew she'd still be around.

[ A pause. ] I'm not really all that surprised that they don't want to admit that they can't wrangle Lachesis.

Voice

[selfequipped]

[She's surprised he's not being an ass, so much that she has to keep herself from dismissing what he has to say.]

But they did tell me they couldn't control the porter.

audio

[gevurah]

Careful, you'll inflate my ego.

audio

[selfequipped]

I think it's well-placed inflation.

Audio

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Hi, Kate. I'm Jacob Taylor. Thanks for the information. It's good to know people can make it without registration.

The stuff about Captain Holiday might explain some things. I've been wondering why we've got such a long leash. Despite what the tattoos suggest, so far this hasn't been much of a draft.

Audio

[selfequipped]

It's nice to meet you, Jacob.

I think there might have been a compromise somewhere in there. Give them tattoos and a chance for intervention. We'll have to see where things really go in time. It still seems very early.

The interesting thing is that they haven't called upon us to volunteer for more than their space program, and even that training was "voluntary."

text

[humanistic]

Congratulations on making it. Don't let the side down.

Are you considering this your first case or is this just for fun?

text

[selfequipped]

My first case was actually finding flowers for a soon to be married couple in Los Angeles, but here, you can consider it that if you want.

[transuniversal]

I see you've been busy.

[selfequipped]

I've been here since February 10th.

[ video ]

[hostage]

So I guess I missed a lot while I was busy moving...

[ video ]

[selfequipped]

A bit, anyway.

Where'd you end up moving?

voice;

[topslug]

A private detective, huh? [ She sounds like she might be grinning, a little wistful too. ] An ability like yours seems like it would be useful for that.

I've always wondered what it was like here, for the imPorts before us. [ A beat. ] Back in the City -- where Lachesis brought us in -- we were brought to another world that had imPorts before. I was a little worried this one was going to be like it.

voice;

[selfequipped]

I was actually one before I got here, but I figured it would be a more legitimate and lucrative means of using what I learned. [Than being a superhero, anyway.]

I wish we could know about the previous imPorts. The exact information isn't available, so there's so many questions involving that. But I'm guessing that other world distrusted imPorts, too. Is that right?

text; private

[filthyworld]

How much to investigate someone?
Really simple.

text; private

[selfequipped]

I charge according to the difficulty of the case, and I give discounts to imPorts, so I'd need the details.

text;

[databoner]

I did think it was odd we were given such freedom ... "Captain Holiday" is the one to credit for this, then. I suppose it's better to have someone there slightly on our side than his next-in-line.

Another question, re: your psychometry. What do you think would happen if you touched the Porter itself?

text;

[selfequipped]

Of course, it's possible that his next-in-line will be as sympathetic to us, but I wouldn't count on it.

And frankly, given some new information I received from a friend, I think I'd suspiciously come up with nothing.

permavoice

[glassbox]

Y'gonna take care of any ferns I bring by? I'd get Matt t'do it, but I ain't figured out if I can trust 'im with helpless plants yet.

[selfequipped]

I wouldn't trust him with plants either.

But don't worry. My last private detective gig was supplementing income from cat sitting, so I think I can handle some ferns.