@leo.fitz ― 4 NOVEMBER 2511

[retravel]

Hi everyone,

If you don't already know me from the safehouse or the guide, I'm Fitz, one of the arrivals from the first transport. Prior to being here, I was a weapons and technology expert at SHIELD. Now, I’m a Pulsar engineer and, more importantly, an agent of Morningstar.

Recently, @ojiro.juniper approached me with the clever idea to kickstart some research and development efforts. We’re working on a way to bankroll this, and we’ll let you know how that develops in due course. For now, regardless of where discussions have evolved on the nature of organisation and leadership, we need your assistance with some big endeavors, both for the Displaced and Morningstar.

1. As some of you may know from the raids, Morningstar has a cache of unidentified weapons in its local store. We don’t know what they do, how they work, how dangerous they are, and so on, but I want to find out. So, let's discuss a plan: Any thoughts or ideas for how to approach the cache and suss everything out safely would be welcome.

Reckon we’ll need at least one colour-coded spreadsheet. [ ***NOT JOKING ]

2. We could use a team of engineers for ad hoc projects. Presently, I’m exploring tech that could counter both the UNA and the creatures that keep popping up, as well as give us more freedom to act whenever trouble comes our way — all by my lonesome.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, whether or not you have the technical know-how to get to work immediately, or you want to learn on the job, let me know. Can’t pay you in anything except snacks, but I can assure you they’ll be bug free.

3. Hi, this is Ojiro. In addition to the above, I also need an engineer for personal reasons, and I will pay you. I need someone with a lot of experience with tech as advanced as the standard here, preferably lots of hands-on engine work. Message me if you're interested!

Cheers.

― Fitz

[ Check out here for more deets on the cache and here for some OOC knowledge of what Fitz is working on personally. He’ll share details of the latter strand of work with any individuals wanting to form a geek squad c: For #3, interested applicants can just private message Ojiro on this post! I'll be throwing together a plot engagement incorporating what characters ICly suggest in the coming weeks! ]

Comments

[retravel]

Think we’ve got some wires crossed, Clarke.

I’m also referring to the cache, which is accessible already and just a term we’re using for our collection of weapons held on site, both Morningstar and UNA in origin. Different types of weapons are identifiable within the cache or weapons store.

Disassembly might be equally unsafe for some items held by us within said cache, so I’m confident a mixed approach suits. At SHIELD, we adopted a lot of the methods people are discussing now to identify enemy and alien tech.

And we, Morningstar, are talking about safely examining and testing some of the contents, like firearms. This is an approved venture, but I’m reaching out to the Displaced and not just local agents because we were the ones who helped heist the contents from the UNA during the raids, so it’s not just a Morningstar resource.

[ Fitz is Morningstar now, which is a level of responsibility and authority that he’s only just begun to grapple with — but he already spoke to their local rep, Gaby, about this. As a preliminary plan, it looks like some of the weapons will be analysed, some will be move to the testing phase, and others will be relegated to storage. ]

Does that clarify the scope and aims of the project?

[strove]

I'm sorry. I'm strictly referring to the tech that was brought out of the UNA base in September. The one that Morningstar agents were there to acquire. We discussed it a lot on my post at the time, and I helped direct people to one another to get it.

That's the one I'm worried about testing. I think your view of things overall is good, but I don't like the idea of everyone offering to set off weapons when, as far as I was aware, we don't know what they can do.

Am I wrong and we do know? I thought there was a reason why they were kept from us.

[retravel]

I'm referring to the UNA items as well, so it would seem I simply disagree with you.

[ he would, though. this is the basis of his career. ]

After chatting with Gaby and Ojiro, I can confirm that we just need a plan to analyse and test the items as safely as possible so that we can know. I think you should give the volunteers more credit here. Several people are suggesting nuanced approaches and curated teams to safeguard any field tests. And, again, we'd only field test the items we learn about over the course of scouting, research and analysis. For instance, we may eyeball a bullet and call a spade a spade, but we won't know if the rounds are armour-piercing until we fire them. Hence why a field-test would be both productive and relatively low-risk.

This approach doesn't mean that injury is impossible, but it reduces the risks significantly, and I believe it's worth it, provided we take the steps myself and others are already outlining.

[strove]

No, you're right, I'm not giving people credit.

I am worried about these testing sites, and whether it'll be safe or secure enough to avoid being noticed. But I also need to trust that you won't set off a bomb or grenade launcher just to see what it does.

[Which she acknowledges she was not doing.]

[retravel]

[ did she say you're right... clarke... this a moment ]

I can understand your concerns, and I promise that's not something I'll let happen.

[ some people seem a touch trigger happy. he won't deny that. while this isn't something he necessarily has control over, he's taking point and plenty stubborn enough to fight for his opinions, besides. ]

Nowhere here is truly safe or secure, but we'll aim for locations like where Daisy conducts powers practice and Morningstar runs training drills. It's not perfect, but it's all we have, and I'd rather go off-site than risk a safehouse, for the reasons you'd said yourself.

[strove]

[:( She's trying her best, and her best involves seeming self-assured about everything while feeling immensely and horribly guilty on the inside. Oh, and unsure.]

I still think finding a barrier to dissemble things behind wouldn't hurt. If there's anyone who can do things like her, or anything that may allow you to transport something far away quickly. I know we have the abilities among us to pull it off.

[retravel]

I believe that plan will be suitable for some items, especially in the case of duplicates that aren't deemed too hazardous. As you've noted, myself and Markus are well-equipped to move hazards or shield against them, certainly, depending on the needs of the moment. Most of our other abilities are offensive in nature or just less relevant to the project.

[ cain's power might help with smaller items, and there are probably other useful abilities that have been kept private or remain undiscovered. they're weighted towards offense, even so. ]

I'm inclined to have a team assess each item and tailor our approach accordingly. One method is unlikely to be safe for all items, given the variety of the contents.

[ if it looks like it might go boom, fitz doesn't want anyone to touch it. markus' shield can only cover two sides. that's not safe enough. ]

[strove]

Is it bad that I still hope someone can show up and use a power to tell you what they are? Just using them seems risky.

[Again, she can't help but think of how people's lack of familiarity with the City of Light technology had harmed so many, with all of them hoping to be released from their pain and agony.

Could this be desperation, too?

A weapon isn't the same as a key, but she still worries.]

[retravel]

[ he turns over this reply in his mind, considering as many angles as he can, limited though he is by his own blinders. Briefly, Fitz thinks of Damian, too, whose views come from very real experiences and fears in addition to all his cleverness.

maybe they’re all like that. ]

It’s not bad. It’d be awfully handy and safe as can be.
But that hope does sound like you’re coming at this with fear already in mind.

[ And an engineer doesn’t think about what was or is — but what could be. Fitz looks ahead at all the possibilities, stretching far beyond the horizon. It’s a tendency that has led him into danger before (and out of it, too).

This time, he has enough faith in their combined capacity to suss out any traps and make use of the rest. ]

[strove]

I said my piece about survival during Hafid's post.

[Fear is an underlying factor to all of it. It's what drives someone to survive. Fear of death. Of being wiped into oblivion.]

But just do me a favor, okay? Make sure you have a video with a timestamp when you set these off. I'm sure you can guess why. It's a healthy precaution regardless when dealing with the unknown.

[retravel]

[ he sighs. ]

I’m sorry, Clarke, but I can’t do that. Video isn’t a secure form of data keeping, even on this network. We’ll have observers to record the time, when we test the weapons believed to be safe.

[ “set off” is bomb talk, and doesn’t apply uniformly. ]

Nothing that dangerous should reach the testing stage, but we’ll make sure everyone is accounted for, to be sure.

[ just in case of revival, though he’d be surprised if that was necessary. ]

[strove]

["I can't do that." Maybe the video is a bad idea, but it's more reassurance than anything else. They need a means of protecting themselves, and ensuring they can prevent any dead.

She's a touch angry, too, because this is about saving lives.]

From the sounds of it, some weapons are going to require you to fire them no matter what. I understand that this is your field of expertise, but now it sounds like you're willing to endanger people just to see what they can do. That's been my concern the entire time.

We need time of death so that if someone does die, they can go into the medi-unit. Telling me you can't secure a means of doing that tells me that you're not prepared for every step of this.

We can prevent death, Fitz. Even in the case that you've covered all your bases, ensuring that we can do that is important.

So.

Don't tell me what you can't do. Find a way to make it happen.

[retravel]

[ he looks at the message and breathes. ]

Re-read what I said above, when I explained we couldn't video, but we'd note the exact time, for the reason you outlined. I'm well-aware of how the medi-unit works and will ensure we're prepared to use it accordingly. We also can and will prevent death before that by taking every precaution we can think of.

Your perception of me and my character in this instance is fundamentally incorrect. I suggest you re-assess it.

[strove]

We don't know if the observers will be hurt. Having backup is important. Some means of recording things will be important.

I can't pretend to be a scientist, but I have seen my people hurt by dealing with dangerous things they don't understand. Trust me when I'm asking for precautions here. Call me paranoid all you want, but I want us to be safe.

[retravel]

If we take notes on the Morningstar server, we'll all have access to them immediately. And they'll be as secure as our present conversation.

[ #cloudstorage ]

I wouldn't call you paranoid. I would, however, say that there ways to mitigate and manage risk. The lives of the people of this world and the Displaced both are my priority. If I thought this would fatally harm any of them, I wouldn't have suggested this in the first place.

Once enough time has passed to ensure everyone who wishes to weigh in has done so, I'll put a full proposal and protocol forward. Thorough briefings for every step of the way that we can tweak as needed, too.

[strove]

You know it's not notes I'm worried about. None of it will mean anything to me.

[Clarke's brief forays into doing rocket science hadn't gone well. The first time was barely a success until they got Jasper in, and the second time? Well, Clarke shouldn't have lived through that, and barely did.]

I'll look over the protocols, though. I can do that much.

[Clarke is at least somewhat aware of the fact that she's being a pain in the ass, but she trusts Fitz with the weapons. She's also aware of where some people can get caught up in the pursuit of science, knowledge, and whatever.]