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Post by skybright on Oct 20, 2009 23:15:06 GMT -5
At that moment Jai opened his eyes and cleared his throat slightly. "This one is . . . unusual." He remarked, glancing at Vance and Daws. "You said this Voegel was keeping tabs on his superior?"
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 20, 2009 23:26:17 GMT -5
Nate shrugged. "Well, the way G put it, Voegel stole--or borrowed, or whatever--some material that had to do with a private project of his own."
"And there's no telling if that's true--or if it is, what Voegel himself wanted to do with it," Vance added.
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Post by skybright on Oct 20, 2009 23:31:20 GMT -5
Jai frowned thoughtfully. "This is the 'Doctor G.' you mean?" He asked, as a somewhat grainy surveillance-camera photograph came up on the screen behind him.
"That's him." Daws confirmed, scowling. "In all his glory."
Jai nodded. "Most of the files on this drive are text documents, written in some kind of personal coded shorthand. There are also photographs like this one, and a few other miscellaneous files -- mostly memos in which this 'Doctor G' is mentioned. My guess is that Voegel has been spying on him -- and these are his results."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 22, 2009 22:32:16 GMT -5
Vance smiled viciously. "That oughta be a fun fact to play with, if we can get Proteus to go along with pretending to be Doctor G in front of Voegel."
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Post by skybright on Oct 22, 2009 22:41:55 GMT -5
"It might help Proteus mimic the guy, too." Daws remarked thoughtfully.
Jai nodded. "I will make copies of everything for you to take back to him, if you think it would be useful."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 22, 2009 22:46:46 GMT -5
"I want copies of everything," Vance said with a nod. "For security, if nothing else. The more backups we have, the better."
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Post by skybright on Oct 22, 2009 22:59:56 GMT -5
Jai nodded and closed his eyes. "Give me a few minutes, then, and I'll duplicate everything we've looked at."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 22, 2009 23:07:29 GMT -5
While Jai was preoccupied, Vance turned his attention to Veeru.
"How've you boys been holding up? Anything we can do for you?"
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Post by skybright on Oct 22, 2009 23:16:29 GMT -5
Veeru smiled and shook his head. "We have been fine, Major. Joey brought by the last of the replacement hardware for what Jai lost when Mount Bliss went down, and other than that . . ." He grinned wryly at Daws. "We have been 'staying out of trouble', as someone so often reminds us to do."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 23, 2009 21:58:26 GMT -5
"In that case, you're doing better than us," Nate remarked.
Vance raised an eyebrow, glancing at Veeru. "Granted, we've been a little too busy to even get near a TV or a radio. Are they saying anything worth mentioning about the clinic bombing, or Voegel's kidnapping?"
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Post by skybright on Oct 23, 2009 22:04:15 GMT -5
Veeru grimaced. "Most of the news reports are saying that they've learned nothing new about the bombing. The opinion pieces are . . . not so charitable. Blaming us for 'biting the hand that feeds us', that sort of thing."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 23, 2009 22:18:49 GMT -5
Vance made a growling noise. "More like biting the hand that's strangling us--even if mutants had done it, and even if this so-called clinic was legit."
"We had to expect that, Dad," Nate said, in a tone that might have been meant to soothe his father's hot temper. "Wait until what's really happening comes to light--maybe with some of this evidence we've got right here. Maybe that could start to change things... at least a little."
Vance smiled sadly, glancing at Veeru. "As you can see, the kid still hasn't had the idealism knocked out of him just yet."
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Post by skybright on Oct 23, 2009 22:26:35 GMT -5
Veeru smiled crookedly. "I hope you never will." He told Nate.
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 23, 2009 22:33:16 GMT -5
"The question of who really blew up the clinic is still one more in our pile," Vance muttered. "I'm worried about going forward with any more bright ideas while that's still unanswered. Who knows what else they might barge into and monkey up."
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Post by skybright on Oct 23, 2009 22:43:55 GMT -5
"I have not been able to make any progress on that front." Jai said, opening his eyes. "If the police have any clue, they are not discussing it on the Internet."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 23, 2009 22:51:33 GMT -5
"Any chance we can use the internet ourselves to try to feel out whoever's responsible?" Nate pondered. "I mean, if it really is some kind of pro-mutant group, they've gotta do recruiting somehow--and we know how effective the internet is for terrorists of all kinds." He glanced at Major Vance, who scowled and half-unthinkingly traced the scar on the side of his face.
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Post by skybright on Oct 23, 2009 22:56:14 GMT -5
Jai nodded. "We may have some success at that. I can begin sending out feelers tonight, and let you know if any of them succeed."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 23, 2009 23:14:29 GMT -5
"That's good," Vance nodded.
"And if it ever came to a face-to-face meeting..." Nate shrugged. "I'd be game to play a potential recruit."
Vance unfolded his arms and straightened. "Nate--"
"Look, Proteus isn't the only one who can do undercover work. Anyway, it might be a moot point, if G's black hats happen to be the ones blowing up their own clinic for a publicity stunt."
"Or as their own recruiting tool," Vance growled. "If they are in back of it, trying to lure in fool pro-mutant-rights kids... I'm not gonna see you end up in a lab. Or made into one of G's zoned-out lackeys."
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Post by skybright on Oct 23, 2009 23:24:14 GMT -5
"I guess the tendency to use yourself as bait runs in the family along with the stubbornness." Daws muttered wryly.
Then she held up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Look, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We can have the various arguments about who gets to volunteer as bait for what when the time comes."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 24, 2009 20:33:10 GMT -5
"Gettin' ahead of themselves runs in their family too," Handy remarked archly.
Vance shot Handy a look, but then his expression softened and he shrugged. "Okay, fair enough. The bomber still could've been just a lone wolf, for all we know."
"I wonder if Cole's had any more luck getting background on the guy," Nate mused.
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