Log:Diner Talk

2020/10/15 	 Night Marshal|Carpenter Grimm

1

The Elvis Presley cafe is a wonderful throwback to an earlier, some think easier, time. Carpenter and Grimm have met up the day after talking with Dr. Forest. No new meta fraud meeting the parameter of this case.

In possibly related news, CLOWN recently put a large X (one mile square) out in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Then posted pictures of it on the web with Merry Andrew dressed as Davy Jones. It attracted a lot of attention from treasure/adventure seekers. A Starguard Europe team reluctantly went out as well. They found that under the X was a recently and apparently abruptly abandoned DEMONhame. It seemed to be slave trading center as well as a 'normal' DEMONhame. Rumor has it a list of names of clients was found in the DEMONhame. Photos show there was also a treasure chest inside: it held 1000 whoopie cushions and rubber chickens.

Carpenter snorts and says to Grimm, "You saw the news about the CLOWN sighting out in Africa? Definitely not my sense of humor. I guess I'm happy they revealed something from DEMON, but their method is...enh."

Grimm sits across from Jack and smiles. "Yeah, whoopie cushions and rubber chickens...I just don't get it. At least they're kind of helping?" she offers as she opens some creamer and pours it into her coffee.

Carpenter taps the table, "I've been thinking about the fraud thing in my spare time. I definitely think it's a Robin Hood sort. Or at least someone without an issue robbing people they think are criminals. One is likely an inventor type. The other is likely a shapeshifter, maybe? Using some kind of magic." He take a sip of his coffee. "I think they're young. Teens, maybe? At least inexperienced. And given early success, they're going to keep reaching until they get their hand slapped by someone more savvy than they are."

Carpenter says, "Most teen inventors get snapped up by companies, though. Or the government. Or academics. Maybe there's a paper published on this stuff? The nanotech?"

Grimm holds up her coffee to her lips and blows some of the rising steam off of it, watching Jack's mind work. She smiles slowly as she listens, perhaps a bit dreamily, but she focuses on the words, too. "Teens, though? Seriously? That's...crazy. They're talented. It'd be a shame to waste that."

Carpenter shakes his head, "It leans into the idea I had comparing them to hackers. A lot of hackers are young. Pushing the envelope

Grimm nods slowly. "Right, you said something about that. Um, uhh...white hats?" she says after snapping a few times with her fingers to recall.

Carpenter nods. "Well, people who consider themselves to be white hats. A lot of them...are just as out of control as a lot of metas, though."

"Mmmhmm, yes, all those reckless metas," Gabrielle smiles at Jack and takes a sip of her coffee while she thinks on if this rings any bells.

Carpenter chuckles. "I'm thinking specifically of the Godflora who messed up a bust."

"Oh god, -those- two? If they're as bad as I hear, they're going to get you killed with their 'help'. What happened wth your bust?" Gabrielle groans sympathetically for Jack.

Carpenter chuckles. "The guy...Nohrbor? He got involved in a firefight I was in. And while he did help end it, he busted them up badly enough to make it hard to question them afterward."

A name comes to both of you at about the same time, a name that is more rumor than fact: The Toymaker. He's supposedly a supremely skilled creator of all those wonderful toys that various metavils, metaheroes, vigilantes with deep pockets, and off the book government jobs.

Rumor has it that he keeps an eye out for 'talent' that might work well with him.

He seems to be most easily contacted through the underground grapevine in San Francisco and Edinburgh, Scotland. Been on the scene for about a decade. Started small and worked his way up. Likes challenges to his skill it's said. And

And likes money. He's supposedly said, "Respect would be nice. But money spends." Despite that, known for keeping his client list closer than God's true name, once bought, he stays bought.

A name also comes to Grimm: Joseph Newhouse. If anyone knows the ins and outs of academic papers, it's probably him.

And to track down if anyone's done work on nanotech like used in the jobs.

"That really sucks. I don't know how you do it." Gabrielle draws patterns idly on the tabletop as she thinks, her finger gradually getting closer until she can sneakily slip her hand over Jack's. "I may know an academic who might know of any teen inventors that got snapped up. Joseph Newhouse." She was considering Connor, but thinks maybe she should keep him out of this to protect his identity.

Carpenter taps the table again. "This Toymaker guy. Maybe he's connected somehow? But he's been around a decade. This seems like small potatoes for someone like that." He snaps his fingers, "What if...the person in question is a student of the Toymaker?"

Carpenter smiles. "That would make sense, right? The kid has been given a project to work on."

Grimm smiles back at him. "Hmmm. Homework project for a protege? Wow...that could be something to look into," she says, in awe at Jack's idea. "I would've never come up with that."

Grimm is able to track down Joseph Newhouse through Frankie. It seems Grimm as seen the early middle aged man before hanging out at Past Times. He promises to look into the matter for Grimm once she explains what it is she's looking for. "An interesting conundrum. I think I'll start at CBSU's library and work out into the rest of academia from there."

He gets back to Grimm after about four days with a name and a copy of a graduate thesis. The name is Evander McMasters and the thesis is titled 'Autonomous Nanites and Signal Decryption: A Study in the Use Of Nanites In Information Technology and Communication.

Grimm forwards the copy of the graduate thesis to Carpenter's email with the message, "This is what my college contact dug up. Maybe it'll be helpful?"

The nanites mentioned in the paper are virtually identical in outward design to the ones found in Merry Andrew's work.

Mr. McMasters wrote the paper when he was 19 and working on his Master's in Electronic Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. He never finished the degree program due to just disappeaing one day not long after publishing the paper. That was a little less that a decade ago.

Carpenter raises a brow as he looks the paper over. "So, that's about as long as this Toymaster has been around, right? About ten years? Think this might be the guy?"

As for the Toymaker research being done by Det Carpenter. He appeared on the meta scene about a decade ago. The Toymaker does not engage in meta crime directly nor are all of his clients metas. He provides technical skill and gadgetry to anyone who can meet his prices without regard to legality. The only groups he will not work for are apparently the more violent orgs out there and, most especially, never for ACRO. The Toymaker will, in fact, end contracts if he finds out his client's deal with ACRO.

Grimm shoots a message back. "Could be, or he was killed and his work taken. Want to meet up and look into it? Either way, sounds like a 'date'." Sure, tracking down leads could be a form of a date.

While it's rumored that he's 'sponsored' various young meta inventors in the past, no one has any particular names at hand. Some say that they keep gettting taken from him by ACRO, willingly or unwillingly, living or dead.

Carpenter writes back, "Sure we can meet up." He relates what he found about Toymaker as well.

One rumor about the Toymaker is that he is somehow connected to the meta known as Door. Door serves as a 'transportation specialist' for hire. Usually in the form of literally creating a door to lead you to where one needs to go. Never meets people in person only contacted over the phone/Net. She, at least the voice is a British female by sound, had certain rules she follows such as 'No doors into or out of buildings' and 'No doors into or out of active combat areas'

And last, there is a single fingerprint on record for the Toymaker. No other exemplars match in any systems accessible by Det Carpenter. Also no known matches.

Grimm meets up with Carpenter as soon as she can, at the place of his choosing. She smiles like a cheshire cat. "So, Detective...where are we going this time?" she purrs. She's decided it's suspicious that she suddenly stopped flirting with him in public, so she's testing the waters again. She's still not used to dating someone who isn't superpowered.

Carpenter smiles. "I'm not sure. I still think that our perp is a student of this Toymaker. But I'm not sure how to track it further. We could try to set up a meeting or give him a call, I suppose?"

"Sure, if he'll accept a meeting from us. I've got your back either way," Grimm smiles back. "Can't hurt to try, right?"

Carpenter nods. "I'll try to reach him with the contact info I can find."

There is a link on the Villainy Unbound fan site that purports to send a message to the Toymaker. No guarantees of any contact back.

Grimm nods and lets Carpenter do his thing. "If you can't get ahold of him directly, maybe we can talk to an associate of his."

Carpenter nods. "That's effectively what we want, right?"

Grimm grins to Carpenter and nods. "Hmm...Y'know, I've dealt with that Door person before. She helped me get to a card game with...some people. I might still have the number for her at some somewhere."

Carpenter nods. "They might be helpful too, if they know other associates of the tech guy."

Grimm nods and takes a moment to focus on this location so she can quickly get back to it. "I'll go home real quick to look for it while you try to get ahold of Toymaker. Okay?"

There is no immediate response to Carpenter's request for a meeting with the Toymaker. So the night goes along as you both desire.

The next morning, however, on the way to the precinct, Detective Carpenter receives a text message from an unknown international number. It reads 'Nanotechnolgy. Interest piqued. Why should I meet with you? Time is money or equivalent.'

Carpenter writes back, 'Your tech or someone like you is implicated in a local scheme here. Might be worth it to make sure your name isn't besmirched, don't you think?'

The reply comes back after about half an hour: 'Rep is important. Not being framed more so. Will send contact info soon.'

And true to his word, the Toymaker, if that is who is talking to you, sends a trideo meeting contact good for one hour around noon Colonial bay time.

Carpenter contacts Grimm so she can be there too, if she's available.