Summary:It's all one big misunderstanding, right? It's probably all one big misunderstanding. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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« Backdated Scene: 5/24/2020 »
After she has had time to cool down, and review the footage of the interrogation repeatedly, Veronica finally checks in with Posse, Martin and Toni.
To Martin: "I assume our four-footed friend is clean? We've taken care of fleas, and scanned thoroughly for anything else? Cyberware, radiological tags, bugs, etc?"
To Posse: "I know both of us have issues when it comes to objectivity where Neena is concerned. I'm asking you flat out, Ava: do you see the same pattern I do from this interrogation? Are you as concerned as I am that she played us again? Because if you doubt my conclusions, I need to hear it before we go into that room."
To Toni: "Someone has to be there who is … less emotional about this. THat may not be you. But you are my partner. So, you are my first choice: Can you do this? Can you help us keep it together, calm, and ordered while we get to the bottom of this?"
*
Toni mmms,r ubbing her face, dressed in her habitual t-shirt, jeans and lab coat combination, her feet up on the chair next to her as she crackes open a diet pepsi can. "As much as I can." she says neutrally. "I haven't heard all the details yet, so I'll be as objective as I can."
*
Room B103S, Corridor B, second door on the left in RESCUE's Proving Grounds. It's… a storage closet, with all the spacious amenities that entails. Drones have cleared the room of its larger contents, piling them not too ceremoniously along the edge of the hall, and inside it's just one albino, one well-armed cyborg, and a lot of uncomfortable silence. Karl is guarding the door from the outside.
Standing with her arms folded by a wire rack, Posse's eyes are closed and her helmet display is dark. There's no clue to what, if anything, she's hearing or seeing right now. Silently, her lips move in answer to an unheard question, both blocked by the sound-proofing of her suit.
"<Yes, and we're missing intel. I'll wait 'til you're here to ask so she only says it all once.>"
*
Martin found the cinnamon rolls delicious. Dealing with the cat not so much. He knocked the poor thing out, don't worry, no harm done, and has been running tests. Through comms, as he's no where near Domino right now, the red-head sighs, "So far it's clean of everything but fleas, and we have taken care of that. I even scanned the fleas. Nothing I can find." He made sure! The cat will be woken up eventually.
*
It may be a small blessing that Neena doesn't have to wait it out in the closet by herself but the complete silence between her and Ava doesn't do much to settle her own nerves. This is one of those situations where -both- sides have more questions than answers and until everyone's brought together there isn't much of a point in trying to strike up a conversation. Small talk would seem so terribly out of place, though if she were in the company of someone she -didn't- happen to like she'd likely be driving her guard(s) right up the damn wall by now.
Waiting may be boring but she can honestly show some patience when necessary.
*
"Thank you, Martin. Reproductive status?" Veronica questions; Dom seemed attached to the thing, so Roni wants to be sure spaying or neutering is done before they release the cat to the 'prisoner' - for however long she may remain so.
To Ava, Veronica responds: "Agreed. I have slaved the snack delivery drone to my chair and we are on the way. Martin, if you are ready to give our four-footed friend a clean bill of health, feel free to awaken it and bring it down to join Domino. I have milk and tuna as promised."
Because Veronica is a woman of her word, and she may be paranoid but she's still not cruel, to kitties or hellkitties. "A copy of the original interrogation scans is available, Toni. Feel free to review as you see fit. Ava, get ready. As soon as Martin is down with our furry friend, I'm coming in. The drone can raise the tray and serve as a rudimentary table."
*
Toni mmms, pulling out a small tablet. "I've got the transcript, yeah." she say absently, bringing it up as she skims through it, listening to what's going on around her as she does.
*
"<She's secure,>" Ava assures and reopens her eyes to look across at Neena. Given her normal thoroughness it might be a small gift that the albino isn't cuffed to one of the shelves. Then again they were friends less than two hours ago and shooting over each other's shoulders only last night.
The bionic woman lets out a haggard breath. It was a short night and it's already a long morning. "Company's coming," she says, breaking the silence.
*
Martin finds himself laughing. Mostly because he's tired. "Seriously?" That is not something he expected in working here. Not something he checked either. Which means there's a few moments of quiet before he gives back, "Fixed. Don't ask me how old. Damned if I know how to read cats." Sorry, Roni! "Where do you want it? Should I bring it down to Neena?" In her closet of solitude. Seems there's going to be a party there soon.
*
"Oh good. I can only mentally field-strip a Ma Deuce so many times" Neena replies with a faint smile.
A gentle push away from the wall leaves the zip-cuffed albino properly upright, waiting for whatever might be coming their way next.
Before the others show up those blue eyes shift back to Ava, offhandedly offering "This is one of the more interesting birthdays I've had."
*
"To me. I'll take it inside with the food. And thank you again, Martin. I appreciate it." Veronica comments.
Once the kitty has been delivered - even gets a place of privilege in Roni's lap - the good doctor, co-CEO and CMO keys the lock on the closet. "Karl, I need you to keep this contained, please. As long as Ava is inside, you are in charge of keeping this room contained."
That said, Roni opens the door, then rolls in with a bot rolling in behind her. Once she and the bot are inside, the door closes and the lock re-engages. Roni rolls to the middle of the room but stays just to one side so that she is not interfering with Ava's field of action of Domino gets nuts; the woman has done the insane before, after all.
"OK, little one. You can go see your friend, now." Roni murmurs. "Neena, as soon as I have your meal all set up, I'll release your wrists. I'll only be a minute or so."
Indeed, it only takes Veronica and the bot about fifty seconds to position it properly and then raise its tray up to seated table height. Roni rolls forward, then picks up the saucer of milk and the plate of tuna and puts them on the floor by the bot, rolls past that, and reaches out to snip the zipties off her wrist. Then she rolls backward out of the way.
The meal is, frankly, pretty darned good. This isn't just prepackaged vending machine food. Three 16oz bottles of water are included. But no silverware. This is all finger foods and napkins.
"I know you're hungry, and strung out." Veronica offers. Not that she thinks that makes Domino vulnerable. But it's still a biological reality. "Sit, eat. Pet the cat. When you're done eating, we'll start with some questions."
Or maybe before. Depends on their patience.
*
Toni frowns a bit seeing Neena in restraints, remaining quiet as she peruses the transcript, a brow raising at one point as she pauses, looking lost in thought. Then resumes reading, her eyes flicking to the rest of the room occasionally. She's at least paying attention, even if it doesn't look like she is.
*
Ava quirks her brow in surprise. "Spot your luck is sick." And then the door opens.
The chief of security glances over, locking eyes with Roni as the doctor rolls inside. There's no noticeable shift or extra care in her posture but it's safe to assume Neena is being watched a little more closely now as the cyborg side-steps alongside the albino to give the doctor and drone more room. The closet isn't particularly spacious.
*
The cat is quite unconscious when delivered, but Martin doesn't leave it that way. "I didn't want it stressing out." And clawing him up in the process. The red-head cradles the feline, laying it in Roni's lap, then waking it. He feels of calm, hoping that it might help keep the cat so. While he follows Roni to the closet, he remains down the hall a little ways. Considering everything that closet must be packed right now.
*
Just Roni for now, huh? Well, in a sense it's fitting. The two other people in this room are the two people within RESCUE whom Neena had previously opened up to on a personal level, and for her quite significantly so. Then seeing the small black cat being wheeled in actually brings a quick smile to the albino's face. They may have only just been 'introduced' but for her it's like seeing a dear old friend.
"Take your time" she offers without any venom while dropping to a knee as the feline wanders closer. "Hey little guy, come to back my play?"
The way in which Roni sets up this ..Dom's not even sure 'interrogation' works anymore, it's starting to feel more like an interview, has her experiencing a second wave of confusion. Nothing is said about it until her wrists are freed and even then the first thing she does is pick up the black cat and boop noses with it, again breaking character to look genuinely happy.
Finally looking to Roni, "I appreciate you going through the trouble but none of you are here to watch me eat."
Still, she slowly closes the gap and takes a seat with the cat earning a place upon her lap. She takes one of the bottles of water and a few pieces of fruit but it's easy to see that eating isn't big on her mind at the moment.
"If it's all good with the rest of you I'd like to get the air cleared sooner than later."
*
Veronica nods. "OK. But I'm not into torture. And I think both of you need hydration." As angry as Roni may be, she's a doctor first, and always will be.
"I didn't ask any questions earlier." Roni admits. "I have to be honest: I was so damned angry I couldn't, and wouldn't have been able to make any sense of your answers." Dom isn't the only one who opened up and got emotionally vulnerable.
"You know we both watched your entire interview earlier." Can't possibly have been a secret; they planned it that way! "During that interview it became abundantly clear that the AIM convoy we hit was hunting for you. You, Neena. You know that woman personally. And you knew she would be there. To me, that means you suckered RESCUE and REACT into staging that op, risking my personnel's lives, to deal with your personal vendetta without telling us." That, at least, should make it clear why Roni would be so goddamned angry.
"I don't much care; we have mutual reasons for hating AIM and what they have been doing. But putting their lives at risk by sending them into something you understood and we didn't? And not telling us?" Given all of their trust issues, it cannot be surprising the thought of that makes Roni froth at the mouth and brain.
*
Toni holds up a finger, then glances towards Neena. "Before we get into that, simple question: Neena, did you know that convoy was looking for you specifically, or suspect it, before you talked us into hitting it? I know your ability means coincidence goes haywire around you. So I'll ask you honestly: did you know?"
She watches Neena quietly, resting her hands in her lap as she leaves the tablet there.
*
Posse follows Neena's lead and sits down with a metallic clunk. Despite her position in the group the leader of REACT keeps her mouth shut, letting the others ask for her while watching the albino.
*
Martin so can't see, nor here anything, quite by choice, so he takes himself away. They don't need an audience and he needs to check on a few things not related to all this. Over comms he gives, "I'll be in the Wellspring. Scream if you need me." And off he goes.
*
Hmm. Hydration. Point… The thought rolls around in Neena's mind for a short moment before she gently sets the feline down on the floor by where the milk and tuna are waiting. It's had a rougher journey than she has.
Then things shift a little, and Neena comes to realize that she had crossed a point of no return somewhere over the last few weeks. Hearing the emotion in Roni's voice actually..starts to hurt the pale woman. There's a lot of listening to do and it all rather feels like getting sucker-punched. Suddenly she's having trouble getting her own thoughts in order.
Water bottle to the rescue.
"Of course I know everyone was watching" she quietly begins with gaze leveled at the table. "I was counting on it."
Soon enough she's looking right back at Roni and all of the happiness of having a kitten on site is replaced with hurt. It takes a while for her to say "So this is what's going on."
Toni's question is answered first following a quick sigh and forehead rub. She makes a point of having uninterrupted eye contact before stating "I had absolutely no idea that they were looking for me. No suspicion, no hunch, no inkling, no random thought pulled out of my ass."
She takes a drink then looks between Toni and Roni. "Let's back this whole thing up. Have any of you ever had a person's name pop into your mind completely out of the blue only to get a call or a message from them the next day? Ava, I told you about my past marriage weeks ago. It must have stuck in my mind, or..call it instinct or whatever, but the -one name- I remember from the day that he died came from a 'scientist of the month' plaque with 'Charlie "Omelette" O'Mele' on it and the only reason I remembered was how ridiculous of a thing that was to see in the middle of a firefight."
"Now I've learned a long time ago that when I have an instinct, I need to follow it. I put the word out to one of my contacts asking him to find O'Mele. Thought it was a fool's errand, it's not like he could -possibly- come up with anything, right? Then he went and found something. My instinct might be onto something, so I followed it through. Turns out she's right here in our back yard. Real coincidence, right? If this isn't a sign then I don't know what is."
Turning back to Roni has her expression hardening slightly. "I get where you're coming from but try to recall that I had mentioned taking on that convoy -myself- with detcord and a taser. I cannot ..-begin- to tell you how badly I wanted to engage those targets myself so I would have something useful to give you all. Because from where I'm sitting? I'm not exactly pulling my weight around here."
"I knew that it wouldn't go over well with anyone here if I lone wolfed the op so I brought my intel straight to you..after failing to present it in a meaningful way to Posse and the others. My bad," she glances to the cyborg with a slight head dip.
Hands coming to rest upon the table, she looks between the three before stating "Let me be -perfectly- clear. This was not personal. It was not a vendetta. There were no ulterior motives. My personal connection with O'Mele was merely coincidence, she wasn't even at fault for what happened to Milo. She happened to be caught up in this mess, not a target. And Roni, not to invalidate your feelings here but let me say how much it hurts that you think after all we've been through that I would use any of you like that. You people have become the family I've never had."
*
Veronica listens. She assesses. And she tries her damnedest not to jump to any conclusions good or ill. Weigh. Evaluate. Explore. Determine. But as much of a brain as she can be, she leads with her heart. "That's why this hurts so much, Neena. To think that you could have done that. I hated that thought. But that's what it seemed like to me." And she did actually ask other people if they drew the same conclusion. And she didn't just boot Neena out.
Veronica's voice transmits from the pad in her lap as she taps at it, sending along her query: "OK. Toni? Ava? Do you believe her? I'm not going to sit here and make this call purely on my own instincts." She cannot help feeling that her instincts, her emotions, are at fault here, one way or the other: in trusting Neena in the first place, or in leaping to the conclusion of nefarious intent today.
*
"Neena has been nothing but truthful with us since the initial mess in the Ukraine." Toni says after a moment of thought. "She's worked hard since then, even with our limitations put on her." She flicks her tablet slightly. "Karl's reports on her have been fairly glowing, even, and he's not the type to 'blow smoke' as he puts it." She frowns. "I'm inclined to believe that this was unexpected for her as well as for us. I'm more than a little concerned that she's being tracked, to be honest. That shouldn't be happening. I don't know what this device is, but I want to see it in a lab, because if they've figured out a way to bypass electromagnetic protections then it's running on something else entirely."
She cocks her head. "I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt here."
*
Ava's eyes linger on Neena through the clear screen of her visor, almost inscrutable except to the women in the room who've learned, over time, to decipher her subtle mannerisms. Something in the albino's answer hooked her.
"You killed their super secret pet project - ''Hypersight''? That's a damn good reason to go after you," she points out. "Maybe you should start further back, how you got involved with AIM and they got the means and motive to go after you - and mention any other alphabet soup that you're on the hit list for."
*
When Roni levels the question to the other two the albino turns to look at them, one at a time. Toni's opinions help to settle the cornered albino, it's a better review than she could have hoped for. It also has her pointing at Toni. "'Unexpected' barely covers it. Listen, there's more about that interrogation we all need to talk about when we're good here."
Then it's back to Ava with another angle on the situation. Both hands drum fingertips across the table once as she mentally shifts gears, starting in with a simple "Alright. I was hired by an independent group to go to ground with Milo, keep him off the grid and under constant surveillance. The whole situation got utterly Charlie Foxtrotted involving a building collapse, a report that he had been killed, a following rumor that he was still alive, then I came to find him captured at an AIM facility and minutes away from having his brain separated from his body. I'm not all that certain AIM knows who I am. Pulled a lot of triggers, cratered the lab, left the country."
"As for others, you can probably add HYDRA and The Hand to the list. Various mobs as well if you want a fully comprehensive experience."
"But, hear me out for a second. Hank's comment about my spot offered some insight, I think you're all looking at the scanner device from the wrong angle. This op didn't start personal for me but it's since gotten a lot closer to home than I'd like. Now I'll bet you a full twenty four hour stay in this dull little room that AIM weren't looking for me, they were looking for the hellcat. If you've got the scanner somewhere that you can let it run then we can go confirm this theory right now."
*
Veronica considers everyone's words. It sets her mind at ease to hear that Toni too is believing Domino, though it does bother Roni that she herself doubted her when all of this came out. "OK. For now, we accept that this is a really weird series of coincidences. And we apologize for the boring surroundings." Fair enough, right? No real harm done. And Roni really is trying.
She just feels incredibly vulnerable, trusting without being able to verify.
"I … I think she may be right. The timing of the beeps coincides very tightly with when her hellcat manifestations were their strongest." Veronica is a scientist, even when discussing alien demonic entities from realms beyond imagination possessing someone and mutating them. Because that is apparently a thing. "It also seems they have scanners that are attuned to pick up the hounds, though they somehow do not know what they are or what they look like.""
*
"Mmm. Would make sense if they're tracking something that's not on the electromagnetic spectrum. Extradimensional energies, maybe. Or distortions in reality, some sort of magical tracker. Which makes me wonder how the hellcat and the hounds would be related, exactly. We've been assuming they're just cyborged up and genetically altered canines…" Toni notes.
*
"Let's save that test for later," Posse cuts in with a sharp look to Toni and Roni both. "AIM doesn't need any more reason to visit us until we're prepared for them and we're still in the recovery window from last night. Priority one for the scanner is reverse-engineering it so we can have our own copy when we give it to SHIELD. That thing didn't go off constantly, so it's your hellcat or your luck - ya might have both in common with those nova hounds."
"And no offense Spot, but anyone who gets a half a second look at your face recognizes you," the cyborg points out bluntly. "Fill me in on HYDRA and Hand later, that's worth knowing too… keep talkin'. Ya haven't got to Mallovoy yet."
*
"The Nova Hounds might have been a target of opportunity," Neena suggests. "If they were already in the neighborhood searching for weird stuff that doesn't belong then they could have picked up something else along the way."
She pauses to pop a raspberry into her mouth then reaches down to give the feline a scritch. "You were all listening to the interrogation. Do you remember what she said about other anomalies? Sixteen, eighteen, the one out of state —?"
Dom would keep going but Ava has something more to add. "You're assuming that anyone else made it out of there" she quietly suggests. "Which — yes, I cannot guarantee a total wipeout. There's always a chance. I'll just say that it was a really fucking big crater."
She might be a -little- proud of it.
"Mallovoy, yes. The other anomalies. The day that Thea and I got pulled into Hell, the originating portal..gate..thingy -was- out of state, an underground facility run by that Mallovoy asshole. -Hours later- we came back, spread out across the New York area. The pieces all line up. Thea hadn't changed at all during our trip. A 'momentary blip' on AIM's radar. I have the hellcat which comes and goes, just like O'Mele said."
"It's the last one which has me worried. She mentioned a book. I will bet you anything that's the same book which we used to get home. Don't ask me how but the hellcat actually knew how to read whatever's inside of it. Opened a portal and brought us home. How on earth it managed to come back with us I have no idea, I just hope… We have to lean on O'Mele more. If there are -any other- anomalies from that event then something else might have followed us back here. Some massive dragon-like beast had given chase on our way out the door. Not to mention that AIM is apparently in possession of a key between these realms AND has the tech which had originally sent Thea and I there."
*
Veronica sighs. "I am not good at 'leaning on' anyone." Just a statement of fact, here. "I agree that this is of interest. And I am hopeful Io can crack their data and we can find the evidence you want. But if we have to get it out of Mele? I don't know." As much of a hard case as Roni can try to be, she has limits a lot lower than most. "I think, based on what was said, that the Hounds are Eighteen."
Roni then looks to Ava. "I think she has answered our questions sufficiently to assure that she did not, in fact, set us up or keep us in the dark. That being said, she has kept her word and been true to us. If she wants to eat here, she's welcome to. But whenever she wants to leave here, I think that should be acceptable. You're in charge of security, but that's my opinion."
*
"Anomalies…" Toni murmurs absently, partially to herself. "Hellcat is an anomaly. The hounds are an anomaly. Dimensional anomalies? I mean, in such case they'd be looking for Thea too, if she was in the same dimension. But she doesn't originate in that dimension, so she might not be at the same level…though that would mean the hounds have something about them that's not from around here either…."
*
Ava looks to each woman in turn as they speak. "That could explain why they only appeared recently. Their metal bits weren't ground-breaking tech, and that's very bad news if that Cyber-whatever technopath gets anywhere near AIM." A glance is passed to Neena, silent and steady before the cyborg turns to Veronica with her jaw set firmly. "AIM tracked Neena with a sensor we can't jam, that makes her a liability. Their convoy is MIA and they know she's here so they'll come after us loaded for metas, with more firepower, and we've already got a security breach," she points out flatly and with a knowing look to Toni before her eyes return to the seated doctor. "As your Chief of Security that's a danger REACT can't contain. Expect casualties - to us and RESCUE. It's your call whether sheltering her here is worth the risk."
*
"You do have people on hand who could help out, you know" Neena suggests to Roni about putting more pressure on O'Mele. "It was part of my former job description."
As Toni gives the matter some thought, the pale one dips her head slightly. "Right back to the idea of chatting up Eggy Omelette some more. There's a few ideas running around about what exactly they were looking for but hardly any solid facts for us to build off of. If Thea somehow fits into this then I..we..need to know, but as far as I could tell she didn't change at all after our extended vacation. Like it didn't bother her at all… Pretty crazy."
When Posse adds her thoughts it quickly becomes another moment of 'the truth hurts.' Neena gently sighs while pinching the bridge of her nose before saying "No, she's right. If there's any chance that they can still track me then I should find somewhere else to go to ground. But that does give me an idea."
"The scanner only started to go apeshit when my passenger reached for the wheel, right? That tells me that the scanner can somehow detect some part of the shift, it's already calibrated to the right frequency. So why not drop it in front of Io and Hank and have them do their reverse-engineering mojo to create a signal jammer? You could even make another anklet out of it so my limbs match, because why the hell not."
*
Veronica listens to every single word that Ava has to say, but it hurts to do so. So much so, in fact, that she reaches for whatever she can find to keep from doing something that she finds reprehensible and unacceptable. So instead she extends her hand to Neena. "We put Hank on working out the weird scanner. Io is on the data. As long as we keep the comm signal from that sensor from getting to AIM, they won't know to come here to find their missing convoy."
Why? "I'm not tossing out anyone here on their own without backup and support unless it is proven they have betrayed us. And Neena has not. So instead, we mobilize to work together to secure things for the safety of all concerned." Veronica looks to Toni and Ava for approval, for acceptance of her leadership and guidance on this matter.
"I am all for building an anklet for her that will block that scanner, if we can. I also want a little one made for the four-footed one, so that we can keep track of her. RESCUE Campus is not exactly pet-friendly, and I want to be able to know where she is at all times, and make sure that we are alerted if she wanders into somewhere that could be dangerous to her, or anyone else." Yes. They will be making another orange visitor's badge.
For a cat.
*
Toni mmms, looking up as she considers Neena, then looks to the others. "…I'm for not building her an anklet or tracking her further, though she's welcome to come up with another method to create something to block her movements to this scanner that won't feel like she's under house arrest anymore." She mmms. "I guess a collar for the cat would be best. Though honest? Whatever they come up with, I'll likely be applying to all the buildings on campus anyway. I'm not interested in someone using whatever this is to penetrate our security whenever they want."
*
"Agreed." And just like that, Toni's renovations have the full backing of REACT. The green eyes that look back to Roni are calm but inscrutably neutral. Ava's acting as RESCUE's Chief of Security now, not the albino's personal friend, and on the larger scale she's weighing there's no right or wrong answer. It is truly, the doctor's choice; they're both right, and they're both wrong.
"Regardless of keeping her on the badge, she should avoid HQ until the heat from that ping dies down. Her badge is already on REACT's list as an e-beacon but I recommend doublin up after that arena CF. How 'bout a locator implant?" she suggests to Neena.
*
Roni's decision on the matter may not be wholly unexpected but Neena hadn't been holding her breath on getting such clearance to stay on campus. It does bring a light smile to dark lips but she still understands that being nice and trying to make allowances is what gets people into trouble.
"If I'm staying here then we should play the odds as best we can. Ava, I know you aren't going to be thrilled about this idea but if you need something from me then you've got it. I would also suggest keeping the hellcat as deeply buried as possible for the forseeable future, meaning Hank's 'kibble' tests should be put on hold. Lest we have another 'mishap…'"
Something else that Roni said ends up getting a curious expression from the albino. "You'd let the cat stay around campus? I figured it'd be getting a posh life in my penthouse, or such."
Toni's comments earns another thin monochromed smile. "I appreciate that." Then "If kitty's getting a collar I'm putting spikes on it." She might be kidding, it's hard to tell.
She's definitely not kidding when she stares at Ava, "You want to -chip- me? Oh my god," she groans while dropping her forehead into both palms. "I take back what I said about full compliance."
Sloooowly rising back up to look at Ava, she suggests "If there's a chip in me then you've just given -everyone else- another means of tracking me. Just in case the one on my ankle wasn't enough of a gamble."
*
"You are welcome to take her to your place any time you like. I merely want to allow her to come along on campus with you whenever you are here. Or, if she decides she would rather be here, she will then have that option." Yes. Veronica, hard-assed doctor and co-CEO, is talking about giving a stray cat - an ACTUAL STRAY CAT - freedom of choice.
Who knew Roni was a cat person?
"I also agree we should incorporate whatever blocking tech we can work out everywhere we can. But if we also give Neena an anklet, then she is blocked even when she is not here." Thus revealing Roni's intention.
"I am not so sold on chipping Neena. I get the point. But I think she has a point as well. At least with the badge, so long as she's not getting around here, she doesn't have to be wearing it, so she can separate herself and not be tracked by others." Much harder to do with a chip buried in her flesh. "I want to keep track of her here on campus, not make her easy for bounty hunters all over the world." Roni opines.
*
"A badge is acceptable too." Toni allows. "The cat can have a spiked collar…I can probably build a force field generator into it for that matter…just in case…" she mutters to herself, starting to sketch on her tablet. "Probably a short distance one…spikes would be good emitter designs for extending it past her fur….mmm…"
*
Ava spares the projected doctor a weary glance for what she knows is the beginning of another inventive brainstorm before looking back to Neena. "That's why it's not on all the time, like the badge. You turn it on when you need it and shoutin' to the world doesn't make it worse. If you had an implant when you were in that arena, wouldn't you have used it before fightin' Suzie Razorcrotch?"
*
Once again Roni's consideration works in the albino's favor, now about having a pet of her own right here at RESCUE. "It'd be a lot more interesting here than being stuck in an apartment" she quietly considers. "Very thoughtful of you, Roni. Therapy cat could stay here." And actually be used as a therapy cat during one of their meetings. How convenient!
The chip idea totally rubs her the wrong way though it does help to give her -another- idea… "A dermal patch. What Hank said before about my spot somehow being able to be tracked? Make up something like that into an adhesive patch that could be slapped on anywhere. It shouldn't be too difficult to blend it in with a white backdrop, right? High speed, low drag, totally -not- permanent."
Waitaminute. A pale stare turns back to the cyborg, this time a lot less offended by the idea being presented. "You're not talking about a tracker at all. You're suggesting an SOS line. That…" Hmm. Clearly the gears are turning at least rather than being on full stop. "If the control stays in my hands, then … Ah goddammit, lemme think it over" she grumbles then distractedly reaches for some more fruit.
*
"Alright. We all have things to work on, and things to think about. Neena, eat. Let your therapy cat get more to eat, too. And the rest of us should get on those things." Veronica adds. "Thank you, Neena, for your patience. I know it sucked being cooped up and suspected. And it was not entirely fair. Hopefully, though, you can understand why, from what we saw and heard, we reached the conclusions we did at the time." That said, Roni nods to the others, and then she turns and rolls back out of the cramped storage space. Time to get back to work. "We can work out how to wrench more info out of AIM later, after we have an initial evaluation on the data from Io."
*
"Seems best. We need a little time to analyze and figure out countermeasures anyway." Toni says absently. "I'm a little worried about Neena not being on campus, though I can understand not wanting to draw AIM on us…just I think AIM would fuck with us regardless and at least we'd know where they're coming that way."
*
"Once we're prepared being able to summon AIM is an advantage. PCB can use that - maybe FBI," Posse adds then stands and follows after Veronica as the doctor turns to leave. "Roni, permission to speak with you? There's something else we need to discuss."
*
Neena tries to reassure Roni with "Yeah, we're good." If all she has to do is eat and enjoy the feline then she's not going to object! "I'll stay on site, call if you need me." Or call Karl because he'll be there too!
*