On Ezra - Part 2
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A RolePlay Log by | |
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Title |
On Ezra - Part 2 |
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Date |
2014 May 22 |
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IC Date |
2534 Nov 08 |
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Location |
Ezra - MacIvers School |
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Appearing |
Mia Daniels Michio 'Cal' Calira Dumont Wash Special Guest Star |
The DarkStar Security Company continues its investigation on Ezra.
Calira tests her Computer_Use against a 50 difficulty. The result is successful (31).
Research yields: The addresses easily on the site for both the school, and a link to the university's website who the teachers for the summer school were on loan from -- there, you're able to get the addresses for the teachers.
Tapping away at the cortex terminal again, and only from time to time needing to give the public terminal a whack on the side to unscramble the screen, Calira fishes out some more data. "Alright. We have the address for the school, a link to the university site that the teachers were on loan from. And," she turns back to Mia, "we have the addresses of the teachers. Now," and she aims a look toward Michio, "lets see what Michio is found then decide where to head first." <English>
With the discussion he is having with the Russian slowly drawing to a close Michio's head dips to the man as he offers up a smile, "Enjoy your day, and your watching.." His words spoken out in a hushed tone before he gives a quick whistle to Hachiman, The akita quickly raising up and moving to follow after Michio. The japanese man turning and heading back off through the market to pick his way through and wind around back towards Calira and Mia. <English>
Mia inclines her head, "Sure thing." she shifts her weight and looks around, loitering while they wait, "You got a smoke by any chance?" <English>
Calira nods at Michio and Hachiman, or maybe it's Hachiman and Michio, no way to tell for sure even as she reaches into her jacket and withdraws a slim case. "I can offer you a cigar," she replies, somewhat sheepishly. "I've a fondness for them, which I don't indulge all that often, but I carry them just in case I have a chance to run into my sister and see the appalled look on her face." <English>
When Michio nears the pair he offers a small smile, "Find anything useful?" His brow lifting in question as his hands tuck away into his jacket pockets. The man tugging his jacket closed as he rocks from his toes to his heels and back again. <English>
Mia chuckles, "Not surprised. Nah, thanks. Cigarsmoke ruins the affect of cheap whore that I usually cultivate on these outings." She gestures to Calira, deferring to her. <English>
"So far, yes," Calira replies with a nod, referring to her comm unit as she answers Michio's question. "We know that the MacKay Iver's school, a public school actually, runs these classrooms every summer, but they're different every term so it's not a set plan or pattern. And it doesn't sound like it's a set block of teachers on loan from University either, so that takes the measure of 'easily predictable' out of it. We have the names of the teachers, and their addresses. So, should we take a trip to the school first or try the teachers first?" she wonders and laughs at Mia's reply. "Cigar smoke ruins . . well now, I'll have to remember that," but she does put the cigar case back into the inside pocket of her jacket and settles it around her again. <English>
Calira tests her Gather_Information against a 60 difficulty. The result is successful (37).
Michio's head nods hearing the words from Calira, "Well seems a bit back there was a Black Harpoon parked here, Only here for a short bit before heading back off. Only real ship that.. stood apart." The words offered up ater she shares her bit of news and information, "Starting at the school they might want us to seem official. Homes.. we can be less formal.. less official with. Though is up to you Cal. Though do want to check the spaceport some m'self." <English>
Mia grins, "MEn like their cheap dames smelling like candy and despair." She looks to Michio and then Calira, happy to let the two people of action plan the next course of action. <English>
"Black Harpoon?" Calira wonders with a glance at Michio, "what sort of ship is that?" she wonders. "I wonder if we can get the local sheriff's department to give us permission to talk to the control or traffic tower here, maybe we can get a bead on that ship name," she muses in a thoughtful tone. "Hmm. Lets start with the school all the same, as we are here in official capacity. Well, official on the business of DarkStar Security Company, not on behalf of any government agency, of course. This makes my head hurt an awful lot less, to be honest. Now," and she eyes her comm unit then pulls up the overview of the area and, "ahh. This way to the school, shall we?" Before again aiming a sidelong look at Mia, a delighted look, "They do? well. . that explains so much more about men than I knew just a moment ago." <English>
Calira tests her Gather_Information against a 65 difficulty. The result is successful (10).
Research yields: Black Harpoon - has been seen on a lot of Border and Rim worlds. No identifying marks -- serial numbers, name, broadcast, etc.
With the map in hand, Calira turns slowly around to get her bearings and then nods, "This way," she says aloud and heads in the direction to which they'll find the school. "So, how does one approach this sort of investigation. I don't have a badge to flash." <English>
Mia lifts an eyebrow, "You're Kidding right? You got intel without flashing bed, or your underlings did..." She pauses, "Oh, wait. Nevermind." she makes a face, "Yes, well. What specifically are the questions you need answered most immediately?" <English>
"I got intel without doing anything overt because I always had my badge as a backup. And, barring that, the ability to put someone - anyone really - against a wall within a matter of moments to get the intel I needed the less than polite way." Calira navigates around the next corner and spots the school ahead. "The names of the children, their pictures, any contact they've had from the kidnappers, and permission to reach out to the families." She aims a wry smile at Mia, "As a starting point." <English>
Mia snorts, "PErmission. Let's do it. You have the names, right? Their pictures are surely up all over the place. We know they were taken HERE though, right?" <English>
Calira chuckles, "Yes, we do, and yes, they are, but the question spins back around - always - to why these children. Why then. Why specifically from this school. And were these kids kidnapped for some sort of financial gain, some sort of political statement, or for something worse. Where, here, worse can mean a lot of things," Calira says and shakes her head slowly, tucking her comm unit away and fitting her hands into her front pockets, "I'm just worried that this is just the edge of something bigger." <English>
Mia shrugs, "Figure out who took them, it's less work than going through ...how many children? Dozens?" She nods, "IT likely is but gthe trick to discovering is learning about who did it, not who the victims are. If the victims mattered there'd be ransom or it'd be just one or two. Kidnapping-and moving THAT many kids is not easy. Travelling with one or two would be WAY easier. You're the professional, but if it were me-I'd follow the trail. Where they were taken, how, and by who-that will answer a LOT of questions." <English>
"Children never move quietly, not when you put them in a group larger than two, at any rate," Calira says with a slow nod in return. "To move this many children, without any public notice, without any of them slipping free, implies that they were either sedated or persuaded in such a manner that there was no distress noticed. Which suggests drugged or somehow convinced that they were being taken on just another aspect of their learning experience." They've reached the front doors to the school and Calira tilts her head back to study the building. "These people don't have a lot of money, I gather that the families of these children live from one pay check to another. There is no ransom demand because the families have nothing to ransom. If you had a child, and could not give it a possible future, and someone said that they could give you child a future but you'd have to give up the child, would you let it go, and hope?" <English>
Mia lifts an eyebrow, "Someone took my child, I'd kill them, their children, their friends, their associates, the verse would be pock-marked with acts of sadism and murder that cared not wealth, status, or sob story. I would never trust anyone who'd go after kids. No one who does this are bleeding hearts, they're pervera and buzzards. Now if someone's niave enough to believe somehow all this was for the best of their child, maybe..." <English>
"Maybe they're so destitute that any offer of hope is better than nothing," Calira suggests in a low voice before tugging the door open. "I don't know. This is just tossing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks." They are met with a wall of sound, children still in class are - as she said - not at all quiet. "Hmm," she says before spotting a neatly dressed woman with gray streaked hair heading in their direction at a brisk pace. "Here we go," she says quietly. <English>
Mia side whispers, "We announcing our intentions or pretending we're vetting this facility?" <English>
Calira murmurs back, "Announcing," before she straightens subtly, shoulders squaring and spine straight as she aims a calm nod of greeting at the neatly dressed woman. "Good day," she says before the woman can lead off. "I hope this isn't a busy time," she does not look at any of the full classrooms, because it obviously is a busy time. "But we've come to investigate the missing children. I'm Cal, this is Mia, and we're DarkStar Security Company," she doesn't have any card stock of business cards but she offers one hand forward, receiving a rather flustered and startled response that is edged with wariness. <English>
Mia inclines her head and is silent, letting calira take the lead until there's compelling reason not to. <English>
"I . . see. Well," the woman gives a slow glance from face to face before she seems to settle, exhales again, "well. Come with me," she says and gestures back the direction from which she'd just walked. "I'm Amy, but you'll want to speak with the principal," she explains and moves again at that brisk pace. Shortly she leads them through a door into a cramped office that is crowded with filing cabinets, a pair of small desks almost buried under folders and papers. "This way," Amy says before knocking briefly on the door leading into the principals office and opens the door, moving through at that same brisk pace. "Nathan, these ladies are from darkStar Security Company. They," she pauses, clears her throat, "they say they're here to investigate the missing children," and her voice wobbles only a little at the end, carefully controlled. <English>
Mia's big brown eyes slide and take in the woman who introduces them more attentively, leav ing Calira's power of observation reserved for the principle. She smooths her saree and generally looks respectable. <English>
"I . . see. Well," the woman gives a slow glance from face to face before she seems to settle, exhales again, "well. Come with me," she says and gestures back the direction from which she'd just walked. "I'm Amy, but you'll want to speak with the principal," she explains and moves again at that brisk pace. Shortly she leads them through a door into a cramped office that is crowded with filing cabinets, a pair of small desks almost buried under folders and papers. "This way," Amy says before knocking briefly on the door leading into the principals office and opens the door, moving through at that same brisk pace. "Nathan, these ladies are from darkStar Security Company. They," she pauses, clears her throat, "they say they're here to investigate the missing children," and her voice wobbles only a little at the end, carefully controlled.
"Cal Dumont and Dr. Mia Daniels of DarkStar Security Company," she reiterates and extends one hand forward in greeting.
"Ah. Yes, I see. Why now?" he asks, blunt even as he shakes Cal's hand then offers the same hand to Mia. <English>
Mia squints, "Because concern for missing children doesn't come with an expiration date? what's it matter?" She shakes the man's grip. <English>
Nathan is silent for a moment, studying one woman then the other but slowly nods, a brief and rather abrupt gesture as he waves one hand to the two chairs wedged into place in front of his desk. "Coffee?" he asks and makes his way back around the desk. "No. It doesn't come with an expiration date. It does matter, though. These are our children," not 'were', no past-tense in is voice. "And the authorities," a fine shade of bitterness in his voice, "were unable to find anything of use. All these months. What can you do that the authorities couldn't do?"
"Coffee is a good idea, thank you," and takes one of the chairs, tucking her feet back, ankles crossed, to save on leg room now that she's seated. "We have resources, and manpower, that our local sheriff doesn't have. The ability to investigate off planet, to follow leads. And most importantly," she rests her hands in her lap after fishing her comm unit out of her pocket again, "we aren't looking into this case because we expect pay. We want to help."
Nathan leans back in his chair, taking his eye glasses out of his pocket and slowly folds and unfolds the arms again and again. "Doctor of what?" he asks of Mia. <English>
Mia's eyebrows lift, "Internal medicine and thoracic surgery. As she said, we have resources and some of us have experience working on cases that have hit a wall in the Fed's hands." <English> Mia says in English, "None for me, thank you." She folds her hands, "You are right to be suspicious, of course."
Calira quells a mild tremor, "Really? Wow. I'm sorry. I know you're a doctor, I just get these terrible flashes of having been operated on a time or two in theatre and it's like a goose walking," she says in a low voice with a sidelong grin at Mia before turning back toward Nathan. "You're right to be suspicious, and I'd be wary. But what we're trying to do here is back track to the date of the kidnapping and then further back to why these specific children were stolen, and who is behind it," she explains, rather point blank. "We were able to access the names of the children, of course, the original news reporter was very thorough, as were the follow up pieces. We'd like to meet with the families of the children, gather DNA samples so that we do build a full profile of each child and ensure that when we find the children that we can identify them correctly."
Nathan is silent for a moment, glancing from Calira to Mia and back again. "You think the children are dead." Not a question, a statement, actually asking it of Mia, the doctor in the room. <English>
Mia's eyebrows, "It's a lot of effort to go through just to kill a bunch of kids. No. Sick as it may be those kids were valueable commodities. I'm reasonably confident most if not all are still alive." she lifts an eyebrow sidelong to Calira and drawls under her breath, "Best not get shot. You can ask Phelan about my lovely bedside manner." <English>
"Nice doctors scare me, be mean, it makes me get healthy faster," Calira says in a quiet voice before turning back to Nathan. "She's right. And this is why we're the right people to help. We think the children are still alive. We think that there's a reason why these children, this specific class, was stolen. And theft should not .. NO. The truth is that no one has the right to do this to these children, these families. NO one has the right to do this. Not some stupid government agency, some weird separatist movement, or any other body that has the funds to pull something like this off. These children have to be alive, because it doesn't make sense to have them not be alive."
Nathan is silent for another of those moments, nodding to Amy as she returns with coffee and offers a bottle of water to Mia. "Alright. I'll give this to you," he says and reaches into his desk to retrieve a single data disk and hands it over, sliding it to the edge of his desk. "The names of all of the children, their families, how to contact each. Copies of the reports that the constables compiled, and everything else that we have so far." He picks up the cup of coffee, holding it between both hands, staring down into it briefly. "Many of these families have nothing, no money, no home of their own, they work the jobs that no one else wants. This class, this opportunity, we do this every summer. It's a different course, a different location, and most often the teachers are volunteers from the University. We try to give these children a chance to open their minds, explore their options, experience more than just sums and dry recitation of historical facts." He offers a small shade of a smile. "The classrooms are usually packed several years in advance. The waiting list is rather ferociously fought over." He pauses and sends a sober look at MIa, "Having a doctor on hand may well be a good idea when our children are found, they're bound to need a distraction and I know several in this group had hoped to become doctors someday. Expect to be bedeviled and plagued with questions, Dr. Daniels." <English>
Mia nods and accepts the packet and hands it over to Calira to be purused. She inclines her head, "I have children of my own, one incredibly percucious. When." She states firmly, "When we find the children, we will make certain they are well tended while things are sorted out. I look forward to being surrounded by curious minds-it's been one of my favorite things of being a mother myself." <English>
"I should tell you that one of the missing children, Anna, is the daughter of Amy, my assistant," Nathan says in a somber voice. He sets the coffee cup down, and it's obvious in his face and body language that there is no adequate measure to explain just how upset he is, how worried, how devastated they all have been by this. "Every time a constable comes to visit we fear the worst. No news is actually worse than knowing, one way or other. Bring us answers, Doctor, Ms. Dumont," she says to both women. "Bring our children home."
Calira accepts the packet from Mia, carefully secures it inside one of the inner pockets of her long coat, resting one hand briefly against it to ensure the weight of it in place, though it's a mere matter of ounces in weight. "We'll speak with her first then," Calira promises. <English>
Mia murmurs softly, "I have some personal experience with trafficing. I am familiar with some of the practices of such scum-it's business. That is, for the kids, good news. IT is far more likely the children are alive than not. Someone invested time and resources on this-and that will make them easier to find." She nods to calira. <English>
Calira rises to her feet, having finished her coffee and jots down on a slip of paper the contact address that the principal can use for her via Cortex, or the ship's main comm frequency. "We will be in touch, and frequently," she promises. "Thank you for your time," she adds, extending her hand forward again, shaking Nathan's and nodding to Mia as she says, "We'll need a DNA sample from Amy," in a quiet voice. "What would be best and how do we keep it viable?" she wonders, something she should've asked before exploring this particular part of the challenge. <English>
Mia nods and pats her doctor's bag, "I'd swabs and vials in my kit." Mia continues, "I got it, it'll be fine." <English>
Company
Return to RP Logs Dark Star Security
Return to On Ezra - The Newly formed Dark Star Security Company heads to Ezra to begin investigating the missing children.
Continue reading to On Ezra - Part 3 - Dark Star Security Company speaks to the families of the missing.
