Food for Thought

[Molly Quincannon] Over the past little while, Molly's made fairly sure that Atlas and Henri had the capacity to keep in contact with the outside world while on the Lafette. The ship gets wireless, there are a couple of homebrew computers (not top of the line, but assembled from the best spare parts she could find that didn't cost too much) running various encryption programmes, and there's cellphone reception. It seemed the least she could do.

All the same, there are some things that Molly will not discuss over even the most encrypted channels, so when her intel goes to the sensitive, she just arranges the semi-usual visit with Atlas (and Henri if she's not busy in her lab, which she probably is, but Atlas will be able to pass on anything that needs it). She always brings food with her when she comes by, and this time is no different; when she gets out of her TARDISmobile and heads for the Lafette, it's with a couple of Tupperware containers, one full of chocolate chip cookies and the other full of lasagne that looks a bit of a mess but will prove to taste quite good. Molly believes in substance over style in these things, though one day, she will perhaps manage both. When she turns up with her laptop bag and Tupperware, wearing dress shirt, corduroy trousers, tweed jacket, bow tie and stripey scarf, she smiles at Atlas, though her eyes are uncharacteristically serious. "Hi, Atlas. I come bearing nommables. How's things?"

[Atlas Mason] She had managed to find Atlas on the boat deck today, not even having to search dep into the bowls of the ship to locate the vessels master and somewhat strange etherite. He was working in the cool morning air in just his corderoy pant's and white button up, his suspenders down around his knee's hanging freely as he worked over an old motor, or at the very least...a part of it.

He turns and smiles at Molly, that amiable friendly grin that she is most likely quite accompanied to by this point and pulls out a rag to clean his rather oily hands on. "Molly precise and formative social appeasements and initiations." He says in welcome as he sets down the rag ontop of the unknown machinery and turns to her fully. "Things in a general and blanketing sense have been acceptably maintained within the standard flow chart of expected rates and projections."

His voice casual as he looks at the food stuffs she had brought with an interested look, perhaps he hadnt really eaten yet today. "Shall we movate and locate ourselves more directly within the vessels core for increased atmospheric comfort and appropriate localities for suistance ingestion and data transference?" He inquires as he pulls up his suspenders over his shoulders and gestures towards the door to the ships interior.

[Molly Quincannon] There's nothing for it but to smile at Atlas-speak; no matter how many times she hears it, it still strikes her as fun and fascinating. "Sounds good. I have lasagne. It looks messy but I think it worked out; or at least the batch of which the leftovers are sitting in my fridge worked out well. Whatcha working on?" She peers at the engine, all curiosity and not a little informed interest. She grew up around engines, after all, no matter how much her parents discouraged her interest.

Whatever the answer or whenever it comes, Molly follows Atlas down to the Lafette's galley so that 'sustenance ingestion and data transference' can happen in 'increased atmospheric comfort' and an 'appropriate locality'. She doesn't bring up her bits of news just yet, more curious as to what Atlas is up to for the moment. And it'd probably end up by the wayside if she blabbed her news first. So instead she just unpacks food and asks, "So ... just the cookies, or should I heat up the lasagne for you? Or at least some of the lasagne. This should do you and Henri for a couple of days." She gives him a sideways smile and adds, "Because I know from what Nat tells me that you sometimes forget to eat, which I can empathise with, seriously, but you've got to fuel up, right?"

[Atlas Mason] "Maintaining appropriate nutrient level's is a standard biological requirement." He says with a slight nod as he looks between the cookies and the lasagne. He takes a moment to decide before pointing to the pasta. "The layered grain and tomato derivative based entree would be preferable at this juncture Molly. The Microwave standard amperage powered cooking unit is over there." He gestures towards the Microwave, if it weren't already obvious to the woman.

"The internally fired combustion mechanism you visually confirmed upon the primary decking of the Lafette is intended for a secondary movation craft I will be manufacturing in the junctures directly correlated to our current temporal phase." He says casually as he watches the young woman work, so many young women onboard this ship nowadays, one would think its some kind of magical boarding house for young women.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly dishes up a serving of lasagne and pops it in the microwave as she says, "Oooh, building a new ride, huh? Awesome. If you want a second pair of hands, let me know. I grew up in an auto repair shop and have been doing my own auto maintenance since I was a teenager. Built the TARDISmobile up from a rusted-out old wreck." She makes a bit of a face. "I haven't done anywhere near enough work on engines the last little while. Some maintenance, is all. Oh, and I got the hang of Prime and built myself a nfity little focus for it. Also working on a bone conduction earpiece microphone system to deliver voice-activation to ForceFeed. Sometimes it's inconvenient trying to get my iPhone to hand if I need to use Forces. And ... well, I'd rather have myself battle-ready. Something's up."

The microwave beeps and Molly takes up the plate and sets it down in front of Atlas, along with a fork. "There you go." Then she sits down and waits for the question. Really, she's a little worried that if she comes right out with it, Atlas will ignore his lasagne entirely, and hopes that he'll at least get a couple of bites down before she spills the news.

[Atlas Mason] "Your technical, physical and noospheric assistance is of course accepted in all status' and terms. However primary, secondary and tertiary planning stages have already been completed and fabrication is currently underway, therefore assistance will primarily be within the technical and physical aspects of the situation." He says as he picks up a fork and tests the consistency of the lasagna, not out of uncertainty however, by now Molly would know that Atlas does this with every piece of food he eats, its a scientific habit, if a little strange.

"Appropriate societal congratulations are in direct order via this particular juncture based upon your current grasp of Etheric Energies Molly, suitable advancement my dear." He says as he looks up at her before taking a bite of his lasagna.

[Molly Quincannon] "Hey, helping work on someone else's planned-out project is all kinds of awesome," Molly tells him. "Means I get to learn something new, maybe. And thanks," she adds, about the Prime thing. "I'll show you the schematics of the focus I came up with, if you want. It's probably nothing like how you work - nothing I do ever really matches up with what anyone else does, but that's more or less par for the course with the community - but it might give you ideas for other stuff."

She says all that while Atlas tests the consistency of the lasgane and takes a few bites. Then she tells him, "Like I say, there's news. I just spoke to Israel, and she says that she had a bit of a ... an issue on Halloween. Something about a really freaked-out node that some yahoo built a psychiatric institution over? Well," she goes on, a little tangentially and all thoughtful, "they called it 'asylum' back in the day but let me tell you, the stuff I pulled up on the history of the institution makes me think that 'asylum' is a dreadful misnomer and no wonder the poor node went psychotic with that sort of horrible stuff going on above and around it. Anyway. That's not actually the bad part. It attacked Israel, Nathan and Thomas and we're supposed to stay away from it for the time being. Not just because it's freaked out and we'd need to cleanse it before use, either." She sighs and runs a hand through her hair before she finishes. "There was an Awakened doctor. Accompanied by marines. Israel was pretty sure they were Technocracy, and I've more or less confirmed that by the discovery that they're barely on-record anywhere. No one covers their tracks that well unless they have that kind of pull. So the odds are really good that the Mirrorshades have hit Chicago."

[Atlas Mason] Atlas was eating casually as Molly talked, chewing thoroughly to ensure maximum digestive capability which meant maximum nutrients for his body, he had work to do after all, and had little time for eating and the like. She might have thought he would freak out, or stare at her like she was mad, or maybe start choking on his food when she mentioned the Mirror Shades being in Chicago, that it was confirmed that the Technocratic union had returned.

What he did do however was completely the opposite, he finished chewing his meal, and then seemed to look into the air as if checking some invisible spread sheet or chalk board and then nodded. "Such data was expected to be disseminated sometime within the next two roman numeralogical monthly unit's. It is systemetically regrettable that it has been ascertained that this incursion has occured ahead of projected time frames." He says almost sullenly.

"Fabrication of the secondary movation unit will have to be accelerated by two fold, as will further research into submersible aclimation for the Lafette." He then looks up at Molly once more and smiles slightly. "You have taken necessary precautions to ensure your own survivability and continued independent paradigmic existence Molly?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly's sent this warning to a couple of people thus far. One was her apprentice, the other her housemate. Neither of them particularly understood what the Technocracy was. Whatever Atlas' reaction was going to be, it would have to be easier than a full run-down on exactly why this was a problem. Then there'd been Wren, who had more or less gone into a invective-laced tirade, which didn't seem like an Atlas thing to do.

Still, the aplomb with which Atlas took the news impresses Molly. But then again, what can one expect from someone who's lived long enough to see the Virtual Adepts switch teams? That train of thought, given her current predicament, turns her attempt at a nod of confirmation to Atlas' question about necessary precautions into a wince. "I ... I'm doing my best," she says. "I haven't done anything stupid, certainly. No scrying without being able to mask my resonance. No poking around the site. No hacking anywhere that would get people sending me to Gitmo if I'm caught. I don't know how long it'll stay that way, but I'm inches away from cracking resonance masking and I've got a few bits of data and a plan to squeeze as much juice out of them as I can. If you've got anything Time, Correspondence or Entropy-wise, help'd be appreciated. Though I'd still like to crack resonance masking first."

[Atlas Mason] "And your domicile? Have you considered additional fortifications and movation procedures should your locality be found? Given your previously determined precautions within your habitation module it is easily assessed that it's structural and safety barriers would be breached and undermined within one hundred and eighty seconds of initial technocratic force application." He says quite seriously as he watches her wince. He smiles slightly, trying to reassure her, but from the look in his eyes...hes done the math, and the math does not look good.

"I am capable of assisting your personage in the Etheric field of Space field mechanics if you so desire, any direct assistance is also willing granted ahead of its intended request juncture. In addition, if your habitation module cannot be made suitably secure, your personage is capable of housing itself aboard this vessel, given its greater security measures and mobility."

[Atlas Mason] [Per+Aware]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 5, 7, 7, 7, 9, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[Molly Quincannon] [[Not entirely sure why I'm bothering with a subterfuge roll...]]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 5, 6, 6, 7 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Molly Quincannon] "Thought about it," is Molly's response about the fortifications of her auto shop home. "I mean, it's a little harder now; there's the ferrets to think about." Atlas will have heard about the ferrets by now; charming, affectionate Neal and spaztastic Hardison. He'll have seen the HabiTrail set-up, too. Molly is truly proud of that. "And my housemate Ellie. Which kind of means I can't just move out, though I'm really grateful for the offer and if I can make sure Ellie will be okay and it gets really bad, I might take you up on it. Though my apprentice wouldn't set foot on this ship - no offence would be meant, but she's a really snappy dresser with a phobia of stains and engine grease. The only reason she comes to my place is the fact that I've redecorated, and she won't come near my workbenches. But yeah, it also means that fortifications are problematic. I think I'll focus on early warning systems and intel gathering at the moment. And the help with Prime would be appreciated. Though ... Israel said that resonance masking was Mind, and that's what it feels like when I strive for the Initiate level stuff. Either way, Prime is a really good thing to have on a greater scale. It's on the to-do list. So much on my to-do list..."

Now, there's clearly something Molly's not saying. That much is obvious. It's not so much that she's necessarily in any danger RightThisSecondNow (she'd have picked neutral ground for this meeting if that was the case, and Atlas knows it), but she's got that look she gets when the prospect of doing something dangerous in the name of information looms, combined with something else; a suggestion that it's potentially painful on a personal level, with the emotional wounds already starting. It's also clear that she wants to say something; she's just not sure how much.

[Atlas Mason] "Your habitation additional, if she values her paradigmic independance, given to the predetermined likilihood of her being such an individual should ascend above such concerns as slight ascetic discrepencies with internalized preferences or be suitably prepared for her termination or paradigm sublimation and indoctrination." He says it just like that, get over it, or you will die or be converted, simple as that. His look goes from slightly sad to slightly annoyed.

"Your personage will also have to release certain concerns, or make necessary concessions based on chosen habitation arrangement's Molly, as previously stated...you would have one hundred and eighty seconds to facilitate the necessary withdrawl from the locality after initial technocratic contact...can you claim such capability?" Hard words and questions delivered with concern on his face for his recently acquired cabal mate. But then he quickly switches topic, perhaps intending the previous one to simply be something to think about.

"You have some data or internalized concerns based on current or recent junctures Molly, divulge said data and I will assist in decompiling and catagorizing for proper use."

[Molly Quincannon] "Oh, the habitation additional used to sleep on the streets," she says. "Different person than the apprentice; Ellie's the housemate and I just want to make sure she has a safe place to live whatever happens, and wouldn't just leave her in the garage on her own. Isabel is ... another thing entirely, and I'll make that point to her if it comes to that. I'm trying to find a balance between making sure Isabel understands the dangers and not getting her so scared that she closes her mind to it completely. I mean, seriously, she's come a long way but I don't want to freak her out so badly that she makes stupid mistakes. As to one hundred and eighty seconds? Yes, in point of fact, I could vacate in that time. Probably not without some casualties on their side, certainly not unscathed, and probably with blowing up the entire building behind me as a distraction - not to mention making sure that nothing on my hard drives is readable anymore, with gratitude that I keep off-site backups - but I could do it in three minutes, no problem." She does, in fact, have one of Israel's charms left from the Nephandi incident, that will carry its user to the Chantry. She'd give that to Ellie, though, if push came to shove.

Then she sighs when she's called out on what she's not talking about. "I'll divulge what I can of said data, but there's stuff I can't say until I know more, if only because I don't want to start a witch-hunt, you know? Just ... with the Technocracy in town, there's one of the community who ... I think ... is either in serious trouble or ... very, very unlikely but possible ... could be the trouble. I need to find out which it is and how bad it is before I can say much more. Just ... one of us is either closely on radar or ... worse. I think it's the former, though. You'll know as soon as I do."

[Atlas Mason] Atlas gives Molly a long, measured look when she speaks of someone who could be in trouble or possibly be trouble. "What personage is this Molly? Such data should not be contained nor hidden, if not for the safety and intrinsic security of this personage itself, but for the community as a whole." He says slowly and surely, as if that much was obvious.

"Data concealment at a juncture such as this particular juncture is a direct and potentially costly mistake, paid in data, strategic advantage and personnel." Much like Nephandi, it is obvious that Atlas does not take the Technocracy lightly, he was around during the Ascension war's, he saw the horrors and the damage the technocracy could create, he was not interested in seeing more of the same.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly met Atlas' gaze and said, "Believe me, I know how serious this could be. Right now, the reasons I'm being so cagey are twofold. One: if I give full disclosure, including names, and that spreads before I can find out what's going on, someone might do something rash and the in-fighting and witch-hunt that would follow rash action might leave us in a vulnerable position at a time we can't afford to be in one. I don't know if you were around during the whole McCarthy thing, but we don't need that kind of internal strife and suspicion until we know it's warranted, and you know there are a few of us that shoot first and don't ask questions at all. None of us can afford that. Particularly not the person in question, if it turns out that they're in trouble rather than ... I dunno, a mole or something. Which I kind of doubt but don't completely rule out for various reasons. Anyway, two: if this gets out before things are sure, it might get back to the person in question before I can drop it on them in a way that will get us the answers we need. Then this person can either run, which costs us, or frame someone else, which will also cost us. Three, and most important: right now, the only person who's in real potential danger from this is me. I want to keep it that way until it actually gets out. I can give you a name - hell, I probably will give you a name, but on two conditions. First, I need to know that you won't spread this around until we have the whole story, because working on the basis of assumptions, hints and lies of omission that are either bait or just plain hypocrisy just never ends well. Second, you have to let me handle it until I can't anymore. The reason I'd be giving you a name is that if anything happens to me, you can talk to Israel and take this person out before they can do any more damage."

[Atlas Mason] "Your assigned terms are foolish and needlessly reckless Molly I do not initiate any particular action plan without full proof and substantiated Thesis arguments." He says with a slow shake of his head, as if she didnt really understand him, but he seems to relent regardless as he speaks once more. "This information having been appropriately disseminated and verified within your cerebral cortex and surrounding nodes I accept the terms."

He leans back in the chair before speaking again, a calm, rational and realistically lethal tone to his voice as he speaks. "I would advise at this juncture that you expedite the process of ascertaining this individuals current status Molly, projections of mine, based off of current status of the paradigmic community aligned with our particular conglomeration as well as various factors including, preparation, general outlooks, and projected force amounts based on usual technocratic deployment. Produce a concerning statistical rate of personage termination or indoctrination, identifying at a best case scenario, that no fewer then three individuals will be so affected within one solar traversal cycle. Number of affected individuals rise to ten to twelve within one solar traversal cycle at current statistical projections. If this individual is a mole, or currently of note to the technocracy...such numbers multiply exponentially." He lets silence fall then, letting that sink into her, hard numbers usually made people realize how bad it could get.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly winced. "I know it's stupid and reckless. If it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't be doing it. But I know this person as well as anyone in the community has been allowed to, assuming that everything I know isn't a front, and they're just going to go on the defensive--" She stops, bites her lip and goes back a bit. "He ... is going to go on the defensive and not give me anything useful if I go in with back-up that know things he didn't want them to know and generally look like the freakin' Stazi. I've got advantages on him if it comes to a truly worst-case scenario, anyway; he's stronger than me but crap in a fight, and blood makes him sick. Plus I've got him on Forces know-how. I doubt it'll come to this, but if it does come to a fight, worst that'll happen to me is having to redecorate and a broken heart. But yes, I know I have to confront him soon, and I will. We've got a date set up."

Which, if Atlas pays attention to Molly's discussions about her romantic life at all, says it all. All the same, though, while she never gave the name to Israel directly, Atlas is her cabalmate and gets as full disclosure as she can give. "While I think it's likely that, given what little of his history he'll tell me, he's either a former target - in the way that any Technocracy target is 'former', which is to say, 'not' - or someone they tried to recruit but he got away? Chuck's the risk factor, one way or another. Either they've got him recently on file or ... or he's been lying to me. Either way, he's been a freakin' hypocrite, and some of his ideology is ... disturbing. Which is the only reason I'm not writing him off as sleeper agent or mole, but I still don't think it's likely."

[Atlas Mason] Atlas listens to her words, there is quite a bit of information in the disjointed and somewhat random ramblings that Molly was giving him at that moment. But he nods when she finishes, letting her finish as he always does, you never know when there might be necessary information at the end of someones thought process after all.

"Ideological extreme's are not that concerning within the paradigmically awakened community given our directly relative propensity for exaggerated noospheric processes. However your determination of a specified date and time within this temporal continuity will suspend any concern or action on my behalf. If said data is not appropriately acquired by this predetermined convergence however. I will be prepared to act Molly."

[Molly Quincannon] She nods. "Fair enough. In fact, I'm counting on it. If I can't get the information in a civilised way, then it's going to have to be something heavier, and I know it. But I've got to try it the gentle way first. It's the 'avoidance of a witch-hunt' thing."

Then she snorts. "Don't talk to me about ideological extremes. There are ideological extremes, and there's 'let a computer plan out every action, every decision, every outcome'. There's 'anhedonia? Oh, you could induce that easily and it's an interesting case study'. There's also 'Taking down mundane security to keep your fellows from getting arrested when they go to take down a Nephandus' Labyrinth is naughty and you shouldn't do it. In fact, no one should go in and do anything at all unless it's nuking the thing from orbit and never mind the casualties'." She sighs and runs her hand through her hair again. "I believe that everyone should follow their bliss, Atlas. But in light of information I've been picking up? Stuff like that - and being all but told that if it had been up to him, I'd have been in that dungeon for weeks if that's what it took to make sure that any plan to extract me would result in a risk-free mission - puts me on edge. I'm just trying not to let it blind me to the fact that it could just be that he's afraid, and doesn't trust me. Which is funny given his views on how others handle that sort of thing."

[Atlas Mason] Atlas listens to her words, there is quite a bit of information in the disjointed and somewhat random ramblings that Molly was giving him at that moment. But he nods when she finishes, letting her finish as he always does, you never know when there might be necessary information at the end of someones thought process after all.

"Ideological extreme's are not that concerning within the paradigmically awakened community given our directly relative propensity for exaggerated noospheric processes. However your determination of a specified date and time within this temporal continuity will suspend any concern or action on my behalf. If said data is not appropriately acquired by this predetermined convergence however. I will be prepared to act Molly."
[Molly Quincannon]
She nods. "Fair enough. In fact, I'm counting on it. If I can't get the information in a civilised way, then it's going to have to be something heavier, and I know it. But I've got to try it the gentle way first. It's the 'avoidance of a witch-hunt' thing."

Then she snorts. "Don't talk to me about ideological extremes. There are ideological extremes, and there's 'let a computer plan out every action, every decision, every outcome'. There's 'anhedonia? Oh, you could induce that easily and it's an interesting case study'. There's also 'Taking down mundane security to keep your fellows from getting arrested when they go to take down a Nephandus' Labyrinth is naughty and you shouldn't do it. In fact, no one should go in and do anything at all unless it's nuking the thing from orbit and never mind the casualties'." She sighs and runs her hand through her hair again. "I believe that everyone should follow their bliss, Atlas. But in light of information I've been picking up? Stuff like that - and being all but told that if it had been up to him, I'd have been in that dungeon for weeks if that's what it took to make sure that any plan to extract me would result in a risk-free mission - puts me on edge. I'm just trying not to let it blind me to the fact that it could just be that he's afraid, and doesn't trust me. Which is funny given his views on how others handle that sort of thing."

[Atlas Mason] "Caution is a worthwhile trait, overcaution is often a direct and potent liability." He confirms with a nod as he thinks on the matter at hand, but he had given his word, gave her till whenever it was she had set the date for her fact finding, only after then would he need to act, till then he could leave this problem with the person who brought it.

He goes back to picking at the lasagna, eating small bites here and there until he seemed satisfied with what he had eaten before speaking once more. "You have attached meaning to this individual with intent and focus beyond that of standardized relationship transference?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly blinks at Atlas when he asks that. She has spoken of her relationship with Chuck (good and bad, if never precisely this) with a few people by this point, and no one had thought to ask that. It takes her by surprise, to say the least, for varying reasons. Mostly because... "I'm a Cultist. I know how it looks with us, but we don't view sex as 'casual'. Anyone we're willing to touch the Lakashim with that way always means something to us more than just ... I dunno, someone we casually date or sleep with. Not to mention that I am a passionate sort of person just in general and I don't insist on armouring every emotional leap I make in about five feet of steel-framed logic. So of course I have attached meaning to this individual beyond 'standardised relationship transference'. I love him." Simple enough, though she then sighs and adds, "But of course, there's the smack in the face when I realise that I love what he's been willing to show me and that's all a surface thing and I may have to ... well, you can't really re-evaluate love but certainly apply some logic to the equation on the basis of new information. You know, the 'I love him but I can't actually be with him because he is literally not the person I fell in love with'. It's all very confusing!"

That outburst done, she picks up one of the cookies she brought, looks at it thoughtfully and sighs, "In simple answer to your question, which I probably should have stuck to ... yes, but I'm not sure that matters as much as I want it to."

[Atlas Mason] Atlas raises a brow at her run on explanation, finding it somewhat odd, but it was effective none the less at delivering the information that he had requested. When she was done he slowly nodded to that and smiled at her, thought it was a small thing.

"Duplicity is an entirely feasible and likely termination point for any social interchange regardless of transference rate or depth. You must ascertain if this individual is worth the prior and current investment of allocatable time unit's. How you ascertain the quality of this ratio is your prerogative Molly, but it is advisable that this is completed within the time frame laid out for the prior intention, the coming months will not be a time for such deliberation."

[Molly Quincannon] "I know, I know." From some - even from her at some points - it might have sounded impatient. Now, though, it just sounded miserable; somewhere between a kid being faced with a tough homework assignment that represents a large percentage of their final grade and a young adult having to put down their sick and dying pet. "Like I say, we have date and I will sort it out, one way or another, when that happens. Whatever happens after that ... well, I'll take it as it comes."

Then she straightens her shoulders a bit; she's nothing if not resilient. "And there's not much point in dwelling on it right now; if I worry myself sick over it, I'll be no good during crunch time. So! You said that this secondary ground transport just got pushed up on your priority list. And you've eaten, so you're all fuelled up. Want that assembly help we talked about earlier? Nothing like a little bit of grease-monkeying to clear the head. It's a Zen thing, y'know?"

Whether it's help with Atlas' new engine or general chatter, the tone of the visit lightens at least a little as matters move on to other things before Molly wanders off elsewhere, a couple of Tupperware containers lighter.