Log:Wasp Venom, Scene 4

Wasp Venom 2013/08/27 	 Bee Attache Regan

4

Champions Mush - Tuesday, August 27, 2013, 6:03 PM

''Thrusting up into the sky Quinn Tower is an impressive edifice. Nearly two hundred feet wide at the base it reaches over six hundred feet in height, making it the second highest building in the Downtown area. Rather than a simple block of concrete the tower is constructed of bright glass with a more organic feel to it. From the base one side tapers in until the building is perhaps a third its width, then the building flairs back out near the top in both directions, cantilevering part of its structure slightly over a park far below. ''

''Although it is nearly as tall as the nearby Corporate Tower it tops out at ten floors less due to a slightly greater height of each floor as well as the soaring thirty foot height of the ground floor. Employees for Quinn Industries as well as the other businesses which rent space on some of the lower floors stream in and out of the six double doors that line the curved front face of the building twenty four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year. ''

''The elevators are controlled by keycards and only allow general access to the first eight floors as well as the thirty eighth floor. The thirty eighth floor being a restaurant with an impressive view of Colonial bay is open to the public and the eighth floor opens out to the lobby of Quinn Industries which occupies fifteen floors of the building. The six floors below that house the offices of various companies that have rented space within the building. ''

You join HIVE INC..

''Decorated in black and tasteful muted gold, Hive Inc occupies most of the second floor of Quinn towers. ''

''The elevator opens on four rows of chairs and a wide semicircular desk with a smiling receptionist of Indian decent. Her eyes are the signature yellow color of Hive's best employees. The Hive Inc Logo is on a wall directly behind the receptionist's desk. On either side of that wall, openings on both sides lead to large rooms with multiple desks and computer stations. Completing the circle is the office of Queen Bee, superhero and district manager of Hive Inc. ''

Bee is talking to the receptionist at the front desk of Hive Inc, getting to know the yellow-eyed woman working there. The receptionist is obviously trying to be polite, but it is obvious that she would rather be working.

The entry door opens to admit Regan who moves into the foyer, her sombre gaze flickering over the interior for a moment before settling on Bee. Rather than interrupt she waits for the conversation between Bee and the receptionist to finish on its own.

The receptionist brightens and actually seems happy to be doing receptionist duties. She interrupts Bee mid-sentence and says happily, "Welcome to Hive Inc. How can I help you today?"

Bee does not appear to be surprised at either the interruption or the receptionist's attitude. Straightening from where she was leaning against the counter, she says, "Hello Regan. Did you get the report I messaged over?"

Regan nods. "I did, thank you, I was wondering if you might have any data on Hive holdings and assets in the Zu nation, schematics, locations, budgetary data, that sort of thing."

Bee nods, "I'll see what I can do. Would you care to step back into my office?"

Regan nods again. "Certainly." She moves forward, waiting to be directed the right way before pausing momentarily. "Do I need to be signed in or anything?"

Bee chuckles and leads Regan past several rows on desks in a faintly counterclockwise direction to a lone office with walls. Not all of the desks are occupied, but those that are contain uniformly hardworking people who barely glance up from what they are doing when Bee and Regan pass. "No, you don't need to sign in. The office isn't that big and you aren't applying... are you?"

Regan's lips curl into a soft smile before she slowly shakes her head. "I'm very content with my current position thank you." She follows where Bee leads, glancing occasionally at the industrious secretariat Hive has established.

Bee lets Regan into her office. On the side walls are articles and clippings of not just Bee's exploits, but a host of other local accomplishments from various people. Opposite the large window and a row of potted plants that fill one wall sits a rather complex bank of equipment.

Regan moves into the office and looks first of all to the window, assessing it for a moment before examining the office's interior and decor. After a moment her attention returns to Bee. "Interesting decor." She observes simply.

Bee shrugs, "I'm a fan of function over form and didn't have anywhere else to put the teleportation main unit. The plants have air quality properties." She gestures Regan toward a chair before sitting behind a rather simple desk, her back to the window. "Before I give out any information on another branch, I am going to have to answer one question: why. And not just why you want information - that is obvious - but why you want the specific info you want."

Regan's shoulders lift. "Before the team can recover your missing operative they need to ascertain where she is, not where she was, where she is now." She settles into a chair opposite, moving it slightly in the process. "Assuming that there is some sort of active opposition, which seems reasonable enough in the circumstances, it follows that they will take measures to avoid relinquishing your operative. One of the simplest and most effective such measures would be to conceal her location. Even assuming the team knows her location the team needs some idea of wht resources might be deployed against them." Her head tilts. "You can elect not to share this information but it will make the recovery that much harder, in fact it will make constructing a team that much harder."

Bee nods slowly, digesting Regan's train of thought. "As far as physical assets, the Johannesburg office should be largely laid out like this one: circular layout, not large. It is a labor company, after all, we don't need much in the way of office space. The problem I see with your reasoning is that my wings, stingers, bombs, even the teleportation unit are personal property - not company owned."

Regan nods, smiling. "I had assumed that you had included Miss Adamini's known financial details in the briefing packet. Does that turn out not to be the case?"

Bee nods, "I assume her income is the same as mine, but I will verify that. I'm not sure who to ask how she spends it: the best choice is also the woman missing."

Bee's phone rings. She starts in surprise, but answers it. After a moment, she hands the phone to Regan, saying, "Its for you."

Regan takes the phone and lifts it to her ear. "How may I help you?"

 A voice with a thick french accent says, "Mizz Bee is a bit underinformed. There iz a longstanding problem surrounding Mizz Adamini that makes this mizzion particularly troubling. Az ze may have guessed, I ze production managment of ze local Hive branch and keep constant tabs on Beez activities and the activities of many of ze local employees. For ze last several years Miz Adimani's supervizor haz been unable to keep proper tabs on her employee, but waited to admit this to anyone. Ze missing woman was sent to Zu specifically because she was considered powerful enough to bypass such blocks: to make Miz Adimani accountable to the company again."

"Which is why I am requesting an outline of corporate assets and financial structure. I suspect that Miss Adamini is employing corporation resources for her own benefit, in addition to whatever private resources she may possess." Regan explains. "A broad outline of what resources she has avilable to draw from will assist in the formulation of strategy."

 The voice on the line is silent for a time, then says simply. "You will have your figures."

Bee's printer starts spitting out papers. Bee frowns and walks over and looks at the papers as they come out. Frowning deeper, she says, "You have a fax ... from the main office in Tokyo."

Regan rises to join Bee in watching the sheets of fax paper roll free. "I have a great deal of experience in dealing with delicate information and keeping it secure. The tem will only receive that portion relevant to mission completion." she looks through the data, apparently checking that it is complete. "That should expedite things significantly." She announces.

Bee frowns at the last page. It is an artist's sketch off a masked man in holding what appears to be a jet pilot's helmet. He is walking with the helmet outstretched and his trailing leg is *in* the wall.

Regan's head tilts. "I guess he's emerging from holographic camouflage of the entrance and that the interior atmosphere requires the breathing apparatus." She comments mildly. "Though that's just a guess."

 "No, that is a solid wall, and the helmet is the type used to restrain mentalists in meta prisons."

Regan nods. "So is that what you tried to do to restore order is this intended to be a suggestion?" she presses a button to put the phone on speaker.

 "It is the missing manager's last thought before we lost contact."

Regan ahs. "That greatly assists in its interpretation." she nods for a few moments. "Well that should do for the moment, I shouldn't need to trouble you again."

Bee says, "What greatly assists? What does the picture mean?" She evidently a woman who hates being out of the loop.

Regan answers without hesitation. "This is the last image your manager transmitted before going offline." She holds up the picture. "It's quite illuminating from several different perspectives."

 "If she iz not going to be able to help, you should not have told her."

Bee smiles with relief. "THank you, Regan."

Regan speaks to the phone. "She has seen the image, she will remember it, if her mind is read the existence of the image and the fact its context wwas not explained will be to the fore in her mind and easily accessible. She may not know the context, but our adversaries will and they will know I have that information. Telling Bee makes no difference either way."

Bee smirks and says, "The moment you threw that phone in the pool you became my hero; you know that?"

Regan says, "In either circumstance our adversaries will know what information I have, the only difference is that this way I spare Bee unnecessary anxiety and stress." She smiles to Bee. "I'm not always everyone's cup of tea but that's a very sweet compliment, thank you."

 The voice says, a triffle huffily, "Iz there anything else?"

"I think for the moment this should be adequate but if I have any more requests I will let you know. I am very grateful for you cooperation, thank you." Regan comments into the phone."

Bee says after the phone disconnects, "She is a very independent woman. I was surprised she is so accommodating with you. She's seen enough metas to know this could happen locally and I think it has rattled her."

Regan returns the phone to Bee. "I can see how it might, there are countermeasures that can be employed against that sort of assault. but if worst comes to the worst then being on good terms with the local meta-human militia is a prudent policy."

Bee grins at that thought. "Well then, I guess I lucked out."

Regan smiles. "Anyway, I have some analysis to do before I get down to putting a team together but I should have a team and an operation ready within a few days."

Bee sighs, "You know I don't like being left out."

"What you might do is put together contingency plans for what might need to happen if things go awry, it will give you something constructive to do and it will give Miss Adamini something to occupy her thoughts too." Regan comments.

Bee hmms, "Define 'awry'"

"The team is unable to overcome Miss Adamini's countermeasures or runs afoul of Zu nation security forces." Regan replies. "Contingency plans have to be somewhat vague since the list of things that can go wrong is reasonably large.

Bee says, "So plan a rescue of the rescue team *or* a second rescue when the rescue team falls dead *or* ... hmm. I can do that."

Regan nods. "I have every confidence it's something you can do very well."

Bee grins and teases, "Know where I can buy a nuke?"

Regan says, "Well if it can be done anywhere, Zu nation has to be pretty high on the list." Regan observes. "They have most of the necessary raw materials, barring a micro-processor industry."

Bee hmms as the teasing turns serious. "Is Interface planned for your team?"

Bee says, "On second thought, don't answer that."

Bee says, "Lets give Kay *two* trains of thought to worry about."

Regan smiles. "I wasn't planning too, I have a roster in mind, but I will see who is available."