@margaret.carter, @leo.fitz

[revlon]

[ IC DATE: OCT 06, 17:00 ]

Good evening, everyone. For our new arrivals and those of you I haven’t yet met, I’m Peggy Carter. I arrived on the fifth transport in August. You’re likely already acquainted with Fitz (@leo.fitz) from the first transport. And as you may have noticed on the news, the problems in this world have escalated. So we have a proposition for you.

But first, to catch you up: We all woke up far from home, and a rebel organisation called Morningstar found us first, providing assistance. For over 50 years, Morningstar has fought to restore human rights, dismantle the influence of corporate conglomerates, fight government corruption, and save lives in this world. But on September 10th, the United Nations moved against them — and between the arrests and emergency relocation of the surviving agents, their ranks here have been severely depleted. (Check the Newbie Guide for more information).

Without Morningstar, crucial eyes and ears on the inside and boots on the ground are gone. If we want to understand and help this world, filling those gaps is a logical next step. Not just for ourselves but for the people who relied on Morningstar long before we got here.

Both Fitz and I chose to join up some time ago (and we aren’t the first of our group to do so). After the arrests, we approached Gaby with an offer to help rebuild Morningstar’s network and take on any unfinished business in the aftermath. She identified charity work in the poverty-stricken districts of the city as a chief priority.

If you want to help, you can lend a hand tonight. Carter and I will be at the safehouse from 19:00 to answer questions, and at 20:00 sharp, we’re heading out as Morningstar agents to deliver food and clothes to those in need. Even if you can’t yet leave the safehouse, you can help us prep packs.

And if you would like to do more or feel your position in New Amsterdam society could help Morningstar’s cause, do let us and Gaby know. We’re keen to assist anyone with exploring their options here or in person. Our varied backgrounds and skills mean we have the potential to strengthen Morningstar’s network of intelligence and contribute beyond our own objectives, too.

Our aim today is to share this information and the opportunity to volunteer. Unfortunately, because we’ve used precious resources and inadvertently attracted scrutiny in the public eye — often while asking for Morningstar’s help with investigations into our predicament, as I’ve done — our current relationship with Morningstar is tenuous at best, despite our recent assistance during the raids. But consider this a new chapter.

Our stay here may be temporary, but we can still strive to leave this world better than how we found it. Thank you for your time.

---

EDIT: Thanks to @nill.klein and @sansa.stark, we've set up two boxes for clothing at the safehouse: One for ready-to-donate items and one for items in need of repair. The labelling will appear when you scan them with your neural implant, so you know which is which.


[ ooc; For context, the plot engagement comment outlining all this information is here. There will not be a log for the clothing/food run mentioned in the post, so you’re welcome to handwave your character coming along or roll in here. Both Fitz and Peggy will be replying in the comments, although not necessarily to all of them, so feel free to discuss amongst yourselves, turn threads into in-person chats with our resident Brits, and ask questions! Let's get collaboratin'! 💪🏼]

Comments

[revlon]

I believe @leo.fitz will be better suited to answering your questions about the A.I. War, seeing as that sort of technology is well after my present time. But as for the second bit, my best piece of advice: have an eye and ear for detail and to earn trust where you can, if you can.

[arkproject]

To be honest, I could probably use more help with the second bit than the first.

[ She keeps to herself the ensuing sardonic, grieved thoughts about how her foremost talent is not earning trust. God, but that's too hard to think on now. At least with the network connection via neural implant, and their private communications being text only, Catherine can fool herself into thinking she still has emotional control. ]

So, how did you learn enough to give advice on spying?

[revlon]

[ Is she joking with this answer? No. But also yes. ]

I went to an all-girls boarding school. You learn to keep your friends close and your enemies closer rather quickly in there.

[ Or maybe she's actually a spy. (Spoiler: she is.) The truth will out eventually, Peggy knows keeping that sort of information a secret when she's trying to help organise an underground resistance will be pointless in the long run. But it's early days yet and she'd rather let her actions — and the actions of others — speak for themselves, first. Then who she is wont be of much consequence.

Her storied resumé means nothing here. She can't waltz in and cite her five years of wartime espionage and expect complete strangers to accept it without question. Earn trust where you can, if you can. Step one. ]

I assure you, it doesn't take special skill; patience, being observant. But you needn't be a spy or a soldier. We wouldn't ask that of anyone who wasn't comfortable or ready. I can see from your conversation with Fitz that you are extraordinarily gifted with tech. That's valuable, too.

[arkproject]

[ Probably Catherine's foremost difficulty with subterfuge is how very earnest and forthright she is. She doesn't see any problem accepting advice from whoever's giving it on something she isn't skilled in, and she doesn't need to see Peggy's resume. She takes what people say to her as given, upfront.

On the other hand, she's also bad at explaining things and unintentionally deceptive at times -- her very earnestness makes her seem credible even when she's not trying to be. So maybe this won't go too poorly. ]

Here's hoping the local biotech companies are less two-faced than teenage girls.

Maybe we can think of me as more like an informant. Or like the tech specialist on spy shows! I can make surveillance devices no problem, and set up a monitoring system so they don't need manual review -- it'd just flag the recordings where there's keywords of interest that we set. That's easy-peasy. If someone else can do the planting, that's even better.

[revlon]

[ They can work on it, once they get to know each other better — if there's anything to even work on. Not everyone is meant to be a field agent and that's all right (once upon a time, when she was a young woman and being recruited, she insisted she wasn't meant for it, either; now here she is). So long as someone's instincts and judgement are sound, they'll be fine.

The first comment earns a short, soft laugh from her in person. She thinks of Fitz's ongoing saga of grief with his supervisor at Pulsar. ]

You'd be surprised.

And yes, someone else can most certainly do the planting. Ms Chun, you are a wonder and your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated. That all sounds brilliant and I'm sure Fitz is looking forward to working with you. We don't have an established base of operations just yet [ because they need to rally the troops first, ] but when we do, do you think you would be able to put together a security system?

[arkproject]

[ Catherine is not likely to ever be a field agent per se, but it would do her a lot of good to learn something about how to judge someone's character and interact with them more smoothly. So far in life, Catherine's just bumbled from one project to the next, trying not to offend too many people along the way.

She's definitely not expecting this sort of off-the-cuff compliment, and she's taken aback, uncomfortable and -- embarrassed, and... pleased? Blech, this is the stuff she really hasn't missed. She fumbles a bit with her reply before Catherine's thinking straightens out, and she reorients to the project again. Usually she likes the neural implant, a little piece of her digital identity that got to come with her. When it betrays her thoughts like this, she's less enthused. ]

Oh, well... You know-- I just want to contribute, and... I like what I do. Um, I can definitely make a system, and I can definitely encrypt it, but I'm not a security specialist and I've never tried to secure anything. If there's someone who knows security that could work with me, I can handle the electronics and programming parts.

And you can just call me Catherine.

[revlon]

[ Peggy Carter doesn't mince words and she doesn't dole out praise (or criticism) without reason. But she can spot talent and capability, can appreciate a woman who knows her own mind and what she can offer. It's refreshing, especially from the time she's from, and she's more than glad to offer a seat at the table. (The way almost no one did for her.) ]

Very well, Catherine. I am sure there's someone with skills that complement your own. Where I come from, the scientists I know could barely dream up the technology available to us here, much less create or modify it. Playing to the strengths in a team and learning from them where possible is valuable for all involved. You're steps ahead of me there. But I look forward to working with you, all the same.

[arkproject]

[ Be nice to Catherine even a little bit and she'll simplistically start acquiring loyalty. She doesn't think of herself as someone that has friends (or can have friends), but that just means she appreciates it even more when people show her kindness. ]

Maybe I'll make a post and see who volunteers. We're not as far along with technology where I'm from, but we're far enough that I can grasp what they're doing here, at least.

And... thanks. If I had to wake up in a new universe back in my original body, this wasn't a bad way to do it. Everyone's been pretty nice.

[revlon]

There are a good number of engineers, mechanics, and programmers amongst the displaced. You'll have more than a few bites, I wager. But judging by the response to our post, not everyone is comfortable aligning themselves with Morningstar — which is understandable. So if you do make a post, you ought to make the project's aims clear.

[ They're just trying to be as upfront as they can be about this whole ordeal and ensure everyone has a say in what they do moving forward which includes working under Morningstar or not. ]

[arkproject]

I'd like to make sure everyone's safe in the new safehouse regardless of how they feel about Morningstar... if I can, anyway. Do you think they won't want me to help if I join up?

[ Why would that be???? Catherine trying to understand human behavior is like a child trying to read cuneiform. ]

[revlon]

I can't speak on behalf of those who are organising the new safehouse for the displaced, but as I understand it, part of the reason for the move is to have a location independent of Morningstar. Our current safehouse where the new arrivals are staying does belong to the organisation and that sometimes inspires the sentiment that they are owed something for their hospitality.

So the distinction is important, that's all. It's also why we're emphasising the choice to volunteer, here. That said, I would hope your help wouldn't be turned away even if you signed up. Fitz and I still help our fellow displaced regardless of our association with Morningstar. At the end of the day, we're all in this mess together.

[arkproject]

[ The problem with sticky interpersonal politics is that Catherine has a hard time understanding when someone likes her, much less complex issues like predicting how a whole range of people might feel about a larger concept.

There's a reason Catherine-1 had so thoroughly failed to predict, understand, or stop the continuity enthusiasts from killing themselves as she scanned them. But that whole experience has spooked her enough to take this seriously, and she listens to Peggy even if she doesn't quite grasp the logic behind it. ]

Okay... I think I get it. Thanks for explaining. That's how I feel, too-- that we're all essentially in it together.

I don't want anyone to feel like they owe me, or Morningstar, anything for what I do. If I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't.

[revlon]

I don't think any of us involved are interested in making this a relationship built on give and take. It's a partnership and it goes both ways.

[arkproject]

I didn't even think about that. Maybe it just seems simple to me because there's no one left for me to save back on Earth -- sorry, on my Earth. If we can save something, we should.

[ And it really is that simple to her. ]

[revlon]

I quite agree. We've all come from such different places, or simply different Earths. And while this place could be in my future, it doesn't have to be. All we can do is our best and see where that gets us all in the end.

[arkproject]

[ Catherine's not usually the one receiving the aspirational words. But... it's nice, actually, to be on this side. To have someone else help shore up her resolve, rather than Catherine trying to pummel everyone else around her into going along with her plans. ]

Nice to hear that coming from someone else for once. Usually that's my line.

Speaking of doing our best... Think you could give me some lessons on being sneaky?

[revlon]

I don't see why not. Maybe we'll even graduate to throwing a few punches if the mood strikes.

[arkproject]

Punches? I don't know about that. I'm a scientist, not a fighter.

[revlon]

[ paging dr fitz who has def shot people ]

Just the one punch, if you're ever caught being sneaky. My brother taught me as a little girl for similar reasons.

[arkproject]

[ Catherine is definitely not from a world where people have superhuman powers and actual reasons to use them. She is from the oceanic equivalent of a space station, whose residents were all highly trained niche scientists and crazily dedicated to what they do. There wasn't really any physical violence... not until the comet hit.

And those circumstances don't make her any less reluctant. ]

Ugh... Do I have to? [ It's definitely a whine. ]

[revlon]

No, of course not.

[ She wouldn't force anyone to do anything. But she would feel better if people knew how to defend themselves, even on a rudimentary level. ]

The offer is open, regardless. If you change your mind.

[arkproject]

[ Catherine seriously was't expecting this easy acceptance. Maybe her time with Simon, though short, had started to make her think everyone understood the importance of a good whine. ]

No, I probably should. I'd like to live in denial that I'll ever have to get into a physical confrontation with someone, but it's not very realistic.

[revlon]

It would only be in case of emergencies. I should hope you never have to come to blows with anyone, especially if you aren't assigned to field work.