Log:Wonderland, Ten Joins

Wonderland 2013/05/18 	 Jennifer Ten Hype Porter 1

Past Times's Coffee Shop
Jennifer is seated by the window working through a pile of old fashioned folders stuffed with yellowing sheets of paper.

Porter walks in looking for the almighty caffeine. Fortunately, this is the place for it. He heads for the counter and orders up a steaming cup.

Jennifer looks up and cheerfully suggests, "Try the Latte. It's really good."

Porter looks over at the suggestion and offers a smile. "Thanks. Sounds good to me." He takes her suggestion and waits until his latte shows up to surrender his spot to the next person in line.

Ten appears at the coffee shop door, from the point of view of those inside almost too fast for the eye to follow. She snaps her staff back to normal size, coils it about her waist, and enters, looking about for familiar faces.

Jennifer smiles and waves, "Ten. Good to see you. Very good. I was going to drop you a note but as you're here, can you spare a moment?"

[To Jennifer] Ten says, "Oh - hey - you were trying to get in touch with me? Why? Be with you as soon as I've ordered coffee...."

Ten goes to the counter to do just that, then goes to join Jennifer without actually waiting for the coffee to be prepared.

Jennifer pushes the folders to one side to make room for Ten's coffee when it arrives. "Do you know Miles Fuchs? He used to be the co-ordinator of SERAF, a meta liaison branch of the FBI."

Hype slips into the coffee shop and looks around for a moment. He might just stand out as he is in spandex, but then again maybe not given how much the place is frequented by heros. He takes off the goggles he is wearing and moves towards the counter.

Jennifer is seated where she can see the door, so Hype gets a waves from her.

Porter heads to a table with his piping caffeind and waits for it to cool.

Ten says, "No, I don't think so.... unless I've fogotten. Should I?"

Hype smiles and gives a wave to Jennifer and then gets his beverage and then looks over towards those gathered, "hello." he says and he seems just a little jumpy.

Jennifer grins, "Not as far as I know. But it was always possible, Ten. Anyway, he's been promoted. About time in my opinion. And has been selected to head up a new division. A meta liaison section again, this time with a larger brief. Dealing with what's called in the FBI the Q-files. Q standing for Query. Basically cases where there seems no reasonable or rational explanation for events. The section has been named the Wonderland Task Force, in tribute to one of the city's heroes, Wonder, who was a remarkable member of SERAF. I've been appointed Miles' assistant. And I'm looking for people to join the section."

Jennifer says to Hype, "Come join us. There's nothing confidential being discussed."

Ten nods. It takes a couple of second for her to think to ask, "Are you asking me if I'm interested?"

Jennifer laughs, "Yes, of course I am, Ten. You didn't think I was droning on about this just to hear my own voice, did you?"

Hype nods his head and then is standing next to the table. He looks at the others, "hello, I am Hype." he says and settles down and then takes out a couple boxes from a bag over his shoulder, "Anyone want Chineese?" he opens a box, its steaming, and the boxes are just paper, cheap, no designs.

Porter isn't affiliated with any of the acronymed agencies, at least not in any good way. He takes a tentative sip of his coffee and then drinks more confidently once it proves cool enough.

Ten giggles. "Well, it's just I wouldn't have thought I was an obvious candidate. My investigative skills are limited. Practically non-existent....."

Jennifer nods, "That can be remedied if you have the willingness to learn, Ten. On the other hand your survival skills are quite unsuppassed. And that can't be learned to anything like the same degree."

Ten smiles to Hype. "Hey, I'm Ten."

Jennifer says, "I'm Jennifer. Jennifer Markham."

Ten says, "There is that - well, if you really think I'd be useful I'd like to hear more - though I should say I am with Starguard Gamma. Is that going to be a problem?"

Hype nods and smiles a bit, "A pleasure, went to Bangkok for Chinese but prefer the coffee here." he says as he takes a bite of the chinese. He does listen to what the two are talking about.

Ten says, "Do they mind you eating stuff from elsewhere in here?"

Jennifer says, "I doubt that will be a problem, Ten. There should be no conflict of interest. And being a member of Wonderland Task Force is not going to be a full time job." She waves at the folders on the table, "The majority of the case files are going to be hoaxes, faulty investigations, or oversights. Miles and I will be filtering those out as best we can. That should only leave a manageable number that require further examination."

Ten nods, and asks with a smile, "Speaking of jobs, not to be mercenary, but, does it pay?"

Jennifer smiles, "I think we can find a way to make it worth your while, Ten."

Hype blinks and then looks over at the counter and then eats really quickly. He flushes, "I don't know, should have thought to ask." he shakes his head and sighs, "Maybe should have ate it before I left China, but that was moments ago." he looks over, "Not interupting am I?" he does finish off the food pretty quickly.

Ten says, "It's not my main concern, you know, but any time on this will mean less time for paying work... and I'm still hoping to resume studies...."

Jennifer says, "I can make you a deal, Ten. Come join us and I'll see your tutition fees at the CBSU are paid out of the FBI's trainee budget."

Ten grins. "Now that's a deal I can't pass up!"

Jennifer puts a hand across the table to Ten, "Deal, then."

Ten shakes Jennifer's hand. "Deal!"

Ten giggles. "THough I suppose I should have asked what's involved more first!"

Jennifer says, "I'll see you get notified of the offical opening of the section. Do you have a PDA number we can contact you on? Or..." She looks in the backpack on the floor beside her, "Here we are, a communicator. We inherited these from SERAF."

Ten says, "Oh, handy. So - ther's no more SERAF?"

Jennifer nods to Ten's question. "Closed in a budget cut. In a way the SERAF team worked themselves out of the job. They were successful. So successful there's been a downturn in the type of activity they were set up to counter."

Hype cocks his head to the side as he listens but doesn't add anything, sipping from his drink at the moment.

Ten says, "Huh. Is that likely to happen to us too?"

Jennifer says, "It's a possibility, I suppose. But I doubt it. SERAF were dealing with anti-terrorism in Colonial Bay and the nearby area. And they made it a losing proposition. Our brief is national and isn't focused on one aspect. Heck, we have files about crop circles, cows missing from locked barns, and other incidents too bizarre to even relate. Ranging from the minor to major."

Ten says, "You know, once you've lived in Colonial Bay for a while, nothing seems too bizarre."

Jennifer sorts through the folders, looking for one. "Here, this is an example. It's in the cold case cabinet. A series of missing boys, aged eight to eleven. One has gone missing every decade for the last hundred and thirty years. The last was seven years ago. All from the Salt Lake City district."

Ten says, "Ok... that's odd, I guess...."

Jennifer nods as she taps the folder, "But is it? Accidents happen. Children go missing, sadly. After the first couple, what are the chances that any boy vanishing around the decade mark is going to be added to this case. Especially if the local investigators can't solve it. So is this really a Q-file, or is it a couple of coincidences and then lazy police work?"

Jennifer says, "That's what Miles and I will be doing. Going through case files like this, and seeing which deserve to be looked at more closely. And when we find one, handing it to the team."

Hype cocks his head to the side, "It could take some poking to see if it was shoddy police work, the right bribes and persuasion." he shrugs a bit.

Jennifer nods to Hype.

Ten nods. "I'm glad these things aren't just being filed away and discounted!"

Jennifer says, "You know the FBI claims to never give up on a case? Well, it's not just hype." She grins, "No pun intended. They really don't. Obviously current cases get the highest priority. But cold cases are never closed and forgotten."

Ten says, "I hate to think how many cases go back to 19-whenever-the-FBI-was-founded!"

Hype cocks his head as he listens to that and then thinks for a moment.

Jennifer taps the yellowing paper of some of the sheets in front of her on the desk. "Quite a few, Ten. Quite a few. But overall the record is good. And getting better. Oh, that reminds me, the team will have full technical backup from the FBI crime labs. And there's none better. Even I'll admit that and I used to be SGG back when Bilbo was in SG Tech Division."

Ten says, "Huh - thats good to know!"

Jennifer says, "Members of the team will also have limited Federal Police powers. The power to arrest and to investigate and request assistance and information from local police departments. Try not to arrest the wrong guys. Lawsuits can be very expensive."

Ten nods. "I'm sure."

[To Hype] Ten says, "You look pensive."

Hype cocks his head to the side, "just my thoughts running away. Its hard to sit still for too long."

Jennifer says, "Speedster?"

Hype nods his head, "Yeah, one of the faster that doesn't leave the ground." he chuckles a bit. "Its a bit insane at times."

Ten says, "How fast do you run?"

Jennifer asks sympathetically, "Any side issues? I knew a speedster once, name of Blue Streak. He was as thin as a rake and constantly eating, always hungry. It was quite sad."

Hype blushes just a bit, "Normal meds don't work, but I do eat a bit more than most." he shakes his head a bit, "As for speed, well..I can circle the earth in about the time it takes you to blink you eyes." he bites his lip.

Ten whistles. "I thought my tractor-beam-assisted swinging was mad!"

Jennifer says, "That's.... fast!"

Hype nods and flushes, "Yeah, I try too keep it lower when I am near cities, but get out over the water, and I create tidal waves as I run." he shakes his head a bit.

Ten winces. "Tidal waves - not good."

Jennifer shakes her head in amazement.

Hype looks at them both for a moment and then takes a deep breath and he seems to almost start moving where he is, vibrating really fast until he moves his hand up and down through the table as if phasing through it. He slows down after a moment and solidifies.

Ten says, "Wow. Huh, do you have a problem with falling through the floor if you shiver?"

Jennifer nods, "Also impressive."

Hype shakes his head, "I haven't so far, but this suit works well. I suppose if I shivered enough it could happen." he flushes and chuckles.

Ten says, "So, are you new to the meta scene?"

Hype shakes his head, "Not really, I just haven't been very active. I wasn't quite this fast and I had to spend some time, when my speed advanced to this point."

Ten says, "I can imagine that takes some getting used to!"

Jennifer nods, "If you don't mind me asking, how do your abilities assist in conflict situations? Which occur all too often if you get involved in the meta scene."

Hype shrugs, "I don't know, I really haven't had much opportunity to use them in conflict situations."

Jennifer gathers her folders and papers up. "Good to have met you, Hype. Thanks, Ten. We'll be in contact soon."