@scott.summers

[evenslimmer]

Regarding the giant monster invasion a few weeks back, if that's the kind of thing you're interested in: there's a few more leads shaken loose from casing the tent (thanks to Rey and Loki, who did some quality sneaking around) and chasing down the people involved.

There's three major corporations involved in analysis and investigation. They're working on site (in the tent) through subsidiaries to handle clean-up and sample collection. I've done what digging I could on the job to figure out who's doing what based on what we saw there, and so far it seems to shake out like this.

1) Pulsar: dealing largely with what seems to me like defense research, focusing on developing some kind of chemical response. Laboratory research futzing with chemical reactions and responses in the tissues to different reagents. They don't seem to have moved past the stage of trying to figure out which chemicals would be effective or have identified specific weaknesses endemic to any aspect of the monster's biology.

2) Vyonation: protein sequence and structure analysis. They're trying to link them to any known evolutionary processes or mutations caused by radiation. I don't know yet if they've turned up anything, but that might be because they just haven't turned up anything. I'm given to understand from previous experience that this kind of research takes a significant amount of time.

I do want to point out that this is different from Kylo's analysis earlier. This isn't the same as sequencing genetic markers or identifying zootoxin similarities from venom samples.

3) Giles Bell: direction unclear. Unsure if that's because they haven't fully decided what to focus on yet, if they intend to go multiple directions, or if whatever they're actually doing is being kept under wraps. They're toying with a lot of stuff right now.

Some of these leads seem more promising than others, in terms of getting to the bottom of 1) how they got here, 2) what they really are, and 3) who's responsible (if anyone). I can't get actual access to the data servers, or even the samples without blowing my cover and landing myself in hot water, but it's all in the early stages at the moment. I'm going to try to keep my ear to the ground for what's coming along quickest, what's most promising, et cetera.

Comments

@clarke.griffin

[strove]

Do you believe that any of this research could be a facade because these corporations are actually responsible for the creatures themselves?

[Just going to go to the heart of the matter.

Clarke's assumption is "no," though the Giles Bell outcome tells her that it might be different.

As it is, hello, Scott. We haven't seen each other in a while. Time to see how this goes.]

[evenslimmer]

[ Well, they weren't going to be able to avoid each other forever. ]

From the evidence thus far? There's nothing that indicates that at the moment. But if it existed, it would be way above my current pay grade and in places that I can't access at this time.

From past experience? Sure, could be. The right hand doesn't need to know everything the left hand gets up to in its spare time. I don't imagine that the labyrinths of corporate structure and function have become less complicated since the 21st century. If you were going to engineer something like that, you'd need a fortune in R&D, and the sort of space and resources that'd be easier to access within a well-financed institutional framework. If you made a really big mess of it, you'd probably want to be on the short list for cleaning it up, too. Or have some hand in influencing the investigation.

[strove]

[Forthcoming. Good.]

One of the things I discussed with Kylo Ren was how they would manage to do this, transport it to just outside of the city, and then let it go wild.

The thing I keep getting stuck on is the how. How would they do that? How would they transfer all of that out of the city? Would all hands really not be on deck?

[evenslimmer]

Like how it would be accomplished from a strictly technological perspective, or broadly what the possible mechanisms would be for moving that much matter?

@loki.odinson

[selfimage]

As in, someone would notice.

@rey.nolo

[forcevisions]

I feel like if any were, it'd be GIles Bell.

[strove]

We might want to look into where their resources are going before we draw any hasty conclusions.

I can see why you got there, but as I've said before, this is something I think we can trace.

[forcevisions]

I wasn't drawing hasty conclusions. I said "if any." That's just a place to start looking.

@eugenides.attolis

[kleptocratic]

[ Hold on. ]

What giant monster invasion?

[evenslimmer]

Technically there was only one giant monster. It appeared outside the city, broke through the wall, and started rampaging until we took it down.

Concurrently, a small army of diverse but relatively human-sized creatures were also running amok in the city.

[kleptocratic]

And the attack was coordinated?

[evenslimmer]

Depends on what you mean by "coordinated."

@kylo.ren

[warfares]

It sounds as though they might be anticipating further attacks.

[ going off the information about Pulsar, anyway. ]

"Toying with a lot of stuff" sounds decidedly ominous no matter what way you cut it.

[evenslimmer]

Given the significant casualties and infrastructure costs, it's better to be safe than sorry.

[ Besides, if hanging around with Hank McCoy and Amadeus Cho has taught him anything, it's that research never goes to waste. ]

It could be, but not necessarily. They may just be experiencing internal difficulties or leadership issues. Or simply be incompetent in this respect. In which case, we wouldn't want to waste too much of our time and attention on chasing the wrong goose.

[warfares]

I don't fault them the desire to be ready.

Again, it's certainly possible but why would the government want to entrust such a sensitive subject with someone experiencing internal difficulties?

Of the three, which would you consider first?

[strove]

We don't know that the government mandated this research.

But I'll offer a counterpoint. Sorry, you tend to make up your mind about things when we don't have all the information, and we need to keep our minds open.

Why would Giles Bell do half-hearted research on the chance that someone might come along and see they've done nothing? How do we know it's half-hearted, or if they abandoned their initial studies and are trying to chase down another lead?

Overall, why would they waste resources on something on the off chance that their plumber would find it out? Who are they trying to appease? It isn't us. This research isn't publicly available.

[evenslimmer]

Because the government doesn't know. Or because it's a recent development. Or because of cronyism. I know the surveillance here is extreme, but people are people.

It's also extremely possible that there's something I'm not privy to taking place— that maybe they need additional prep time or need to expand facilities in order to conduct whatever interest them, and so nothing's gotten underway yet.

Vyonation. It's crucial to figure out whether or not it ties to some event in this world, and thus to someone.

@katelin.philips

[covertness]

i know it's too much to ask and so i'm not asking
but i'd love to get my hands on their findings

[selfimage]

It's too much to ask.
Unless you've got the means? If so, I'm listening.

[covertness]

i don't
not by a long shot yet
which is why i'm not asking

[selfimage]

Soooooooooooooooooo
You've got nothing.

[evenslimmer]

I wouldn't be out here snooping around if I were above a little corporate hacking.

I just don't think they've gone far enough to make it worth risking. Or even uncovered anything truly useful yet. It's not like we have the resources to do the work they're doing ourselves.

[covertness]

that's fair
and i know we have to make choices about what we invest ourselves in and how much we risk
this is scientific curiosity more than anything

[evenslimmer]

Oh, you're one of those types.

I'm glad we have at least one. I've been missing my science guy, even though I wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy.

Though I'm pretty glad he's not here to point out what I got wrong in excruciating detail.

[retravel]

This is good work, Summers. Thank you.

[ encouragement first. ]

As a scientist, all of their approaches seem sensible to me, though @katelin.philip's more inclined toward biochem (engineer here, hi).

Might be worth taking stock of where all of us work to see if anyone has a relationship worth cultivating within the key corporations. @daisy.johnson and I work for Vyonation at tech subsidiaries, so we're not well-positioned to do more than network in the short-term.