@gaby

[vns]

[ this was supposed to be one of Gaby's days off. in fact, she's not in the safehouse when the message comes in. ]

Turns out that we're missing two new faces around the safehouse.

I'd play a guessing game as to why I wasn't told, but I don't care. These two faces apparently murdered two people that night.

I don't know who they are, but I do know that they're locked up. Any guesses as to what's going to happen to them?

Genuine question. Because I don't know.

Oh, and because some of you think you can do whatever the hell you want around here: don't think the way out for them is a jail break. Don't even fucking try it. And no, Morningstar isn't in the business of breaking people out of jail, because that would be stupid.

[ she's a little angry. no. a lot. but mostly she doesn't know how to handle this one. ]

Look. You know something? Tell me. You won't be "in trouble."

Comments

[vns]

You're not wrong.

In that case, I don't know. Likely uproot ourselves, find another place to call home. So long as the drop offs keep happening here, I don't want to risk moving any of you out of the city. I'm not exactly down for explaining weird glowing and superpowers.

[saviorexe]

[His mind is already running through possibilities, through worst case scenarios. Draw up a hypothetical, he tells himself — if Jericho were compromised, what would be the next harried plan of action? Find refuge elsewhere, reorganize, wait for the storm to blow over?]

My suggestion? Adhere to ‘better safe than sorry’. Begin these preparations early so if something bad happens, we won’t be disorganized and scrambling across the city to find another hole in the ground.

[vns]

You're all talking about setting up a new place. I've seen it.

I'll talk to the people above me and see if we can make this a situation that goes both ways.

[saviorexe]

[Ah, well.]

I don’t want you to think that I’ve only brought this up as a way to net us a new place to stay. This is in response to the current situation — or the potential consequences of it. This is being cautious, for Morningstar’s sake, too.

Some kind of action needs to be taken, we can’t afford to sit on our hands.

[TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THIS POST…]

Tell your higher-ups that I’m willing to help with any kind of transition to keep us safe.

[vns]

No, I'm bringing it up because it might be the most likely solution at the end of this. Morningstar's resources have been demanded for your people countless times over, and we can't promise them. We're doing what we can, but it's easier said than done.

In a scenario like that, I'd be happy to stay on. I know El would be, too.

Maybe this whole thing will open a door to who took you, but maybe it won't. And if it doesn't, odds are you'll need something more permanent.

[saviorexe]

It isn’t a permanent stay that I’m concerned about.

[That message comes a little too quickly. A beat.]

Only our continued safety as a group. But I understand what you mean.

And your help, along with El’s, would be both critical and appreciated. Even if the figurative temperature in the room states otherwise — you know that they’re just wary about what might happen from here? Take it with a grain of salt.

not here.

[cyberlife]

(side-eying this... a permanent stay in new amsterdam or...)

not here.

[saviorexe]

[Well you know preferably it’s not a permanent stay IN THIS WORLD rip

But it’s fine…….go back to detective-ing….]

[vns]

I don't mind the mood, I mind the fact that there are those among your group who will act first without any indication of caution. Especially the more strong-willed of the bunch.

I'd like for you guys to bring us a plan for what you'd like, and how you'd manage it. Do you think you can do that?

[saviorexe]

Do you really think that there are those here who'll go in guns blazing, without any consideration of our own safety?

[That's a sincere question. He thinks there's more sense in this group than what these messages might be letting on, but Markus forever gives people the benefit of the doubt.]

A plan for the transition itself? Yes, but Morningstar would have a better idea of which locations would work, and which would not. I imagine those in charge have already drawn out a list in preparation for something like this happening, or am I wrong?

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

[ its not quite a smooth segue, but Gaby's directed him over here. he figures he can just jump on in. ]

I agree that it's best to get us out of the safehouse as it currently stands. And probably best to disentangle from Morningstar altogether, residentially speaking. We'll still require help where they can give it, but being physically separate will be safer for everyone if we prove to need a longer term plan.

[ which is unfortunately looking more and more likely. ]

I'm happy to help you pull this together, if you did want to take it further.

[saviorexe]

[Jump on in, the water's warm, and this whole post is on fire.]

It seems like Gaby is willing to help us, to a certain extent. They're not willing to simply hand over one of their already established safehouses to us, but I can hardly blame them. They've already committed enough resources to us as it is.

But thank you. I would like to take it further, and I know you and I aren't the only ones. We need a starting point, a location. Gaby might help us here, too, with a list of viable places to scout out.

[batricide]

[ He's not talking to Gaby but he will drop a message here after he's had some time away from the heat of it. ]

We should be quarantining new arrivals from the rest of us.
We don't know their intentions, their history, or their personalities. For all we know we could be bringing traitors right into our midst every time we guide someone to a safehouse.
Factor that in.

[saviorexe]

[He's seen the exchanges. Knows Hafid's stance on this, and perhaps this request isn't as surprising as it should be.]

That'll be a hard sell, given that ushering the newly arrived as quickly as possible to a safe haven with the rest of us has always been a main priority. And there would be no way of guaranteeing honesty even if we did manage to implement a... screening process.

[batricide]

No, but it's better than herding strangers into a secure location and hoping for the best.
Regardless of the innocence of the men in question, this could happen in our own bunker.
Not everyone who comes here is a fighter.
Someone who is, with a dangerous power, could slaughter everyone without blinking.

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

If you can involve yourself, help us find a smaller sub-location to utilise as a holding bay to cover the time the time it'll take El to construct and assign IDs, I don't see why we can't enact some separation. It'll give us the period of time where the drug's wearing off to get a better sense of the people we're to welcome into our numbers.

We can come up with protocol surrounding what happens if we're in doubt later. But it's at least a level of safeguarding.

[ as for ensuring honesty, that's not totally off the table either. but falling into the kind of screening he could help with can't be their first or only option.

also, at this point, it really couldn't hurt to give this guy something productive to focus on. ]

[saviorexe]

So are you suggesting a separate building altogether, or a “quarantined” zone within the same location?

[He isn’t sure if he likes it; the opposite of welcoming to a group of confused and probably frightened individuals. But this is not an unreasonable concern, all the same.]

[covertness]

let me know if there's anything i can do to help

[saviorexe]

Gaby’s asking for ideas on how to proceed. We’ll have to put all of our heads — and our resources, manpower — into making this work. Your input would be as valuable as anyone else’s.

[covertness]

i don't know anything about how to best run safehouses and this kind of thing

[ what a lying liar who lies ]

but i'll think along, best as i can

[saviorexe]

[gurl y u lyin]

I’m here if you want to brainstorm, Katelin.

Thoughts on the rest of everything else touched on this post?

[covertness]

[ bc it might be an ace up her —their!— sleeve if whoever took them or is behind the experimentation doesn't know the full extent of what she can do, of what she's capable of.

(sometimes, she asks herself the same question. is it worth it, lying to all the other displaced? —but this post makes her think that maybe trusting them all with it might amount to blowing her cover entirely. three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.) ]

aside from "how did we get to murder this quickly?"
i think we need more information
if we can, we need to figure out a better way to find people
to pass on all relevant information to them and impress on them the importance of staying under the radar, i guess [ hence her "welcome kit" network post ]

i think morningstar has done a lot for us when they didn't have to, too, but that's a different point entirely

@prom.argentum

[mercurio]

could it circle back to morningstar? if they've just arrived there's no way they'd know about what's going on

[he's mostly curious]

[vns]

It might if it happens again.

Especially if there's a pattern.

Right now? Doubtful about that.

[mercurio]

all this talk about taking action against them is kind of too premature
ig repeating what others have said: better just sit and wait

is there anything we can do during that? other than keeping our heads low and telling you if we find out anything