maskormenacelogs | Whatever you say

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Whatever you say

WHO: Count Dooku and Raina
WHERE: Raina's laboratory in De Chima
WHEN: Backdated to the Monday after Raina's anniversary vacation in April
WHAT: Following up on this conversation
WARNINGS: Probable villainous discussion of violence, torture, brainwashing and experimentation

Dooku entered Raina's workplace with a confident air and a purposeful mind- albeit with a protective tinge of wariness, always alert for watching eyes and hidden agendas. It would be a pleasure to engage Raina in person again. Oh, Dooku had no doubt she was dangerous and untrustworthy. For someone as experienced in manipulation as the Count, the charm she exuded like a perfume was a red flag as much as it was an attractant. Yet she was intelligent, and well-spoken, and she questioned things that so many other imPorts meekly accepted as a given.

Most importantly, she was talented in science, and Dooku needed scientifically-minded allies if his plans within this universe were to reach their fruition. His own brain had been working ceaselessly since he was Ported in, and a vision had taken shape within: a plan to reshape imPort destinies just as he had advanced the Sith Grand Plan to remake his own Galaxy.

Dooku suspected quite strongly that LACKEY might have revealed the key to many things. Raina would be the first person he shared this suspicion with: a risk, but one with a justifiable level of potential reward.

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Raina was absolutely certain to meet Dooku right at the lobby -- not wanting to leave him to deal with the receptionist or anyone other than her. Whenever any imPort stepped foot into the ImPort Cellular Research Center, Raina gave them the same treatment. But it was far more important with this man, a man Raina always had a sneaking suspicion would be a valuable ally. And now, he would be offering some insight -- insight she had no doubt would be fascinating.

With a glowing smile, Raina sashayed her way before Count Dooku. "I'm so glad you could make it, Count Dooku. Please, follow me." She gestured toward the front desk and got him a guest lanyard before leading the way toward the labs. "Do you want a brief tour? Or would you much rather head directly to my office?"

Dooku smiled back, albeit with far less sashaying as he duly pocketed his guest pass. "A tour of your labs would be delightful, if it is no trouble to you," he said smoothly, following by her side and casting a visibly approving eye over their surroundings. He was genuinely interested in her research, after all, to say nothing of the need to keep up the flow of mutual flattery.

"It is good to see you again, Raina," he said as they walked. "I hope you and Doctor Chilton had a lovely journey together?"

She nodded. Raina had no problem showing the surface labs. It didn't showcase her true research. Not like the lab hidden away in the basement corridor, protected by passwords and thumb print locks. "It's wonderful to see you as well, Count Dooku. And yes, he and I had a fantastic time together. Thank you for asking."

She wouldn't get into the specifics of their little New York City excursion, but Chilton did have a way of catering to Raina's tastes.

"It is nice to get back to work, however. I am not the type of person who likes being away from my research for long." Reaching the glass door, she slid her keycard and punched in a short numbered code which caused the door to open and give them access to the lab. It was fairly modernized, full of the latest equipment for genetic research. Pristine, stainless steel surfaces and large computerized monitors made up a large majority of the room.

"This is where most of the observations take place. At the moment, we are currently studying the genetic differences between human imPorts versus non-human imPorts."

The Count nodded and made suitably appreciative noises as they proceeded. The lab's appearance and equipment were impressive, at least by the backwards standards of this primitive planet. Dooku might not have known genetics, but he recognized quality when he saw it, and these were quality tools for cutting-edge research. Good.

"A fascinating topic," he observed, stepping closer to the giant monitors as though he could glean the secrets of imPort power by scanning their screens. "I don't suppose you can share your findings thus far? I am most intrigued by the diversity the Porter creates in our community." The non-humans were distasteful, but they could well have their uses, and Dooku fancied himself as someone who was nothing if not practical.

"Well, we've only really begun so there isn't much to tell. And I do need to put out a call for more samples. At the moment we are currently running my own against a variety of different human samples." Raina glanced up at the screen for a moment. It wasn't as though it was a huge secret to keep. Especially since Raina had come to terms with what she was by now. "I have alien blood coursing through my veins. We are a special breed of people called Inhumans. Daisy Johnson is also one -- if you are familiar with her."

Though judging by Raina's tone, she was not fond of Daisy. "But it would be interesting to get the blood of our more animalistic imPorts or those even more alien than I. We inhumans are still largely human, after all. I'd love to see how the nanites adjust themselves to match the various species." She spoke with such interest, such devotion to her research and understanding in all the ways she could how each of these bodies worked. If she had her way, she would dissect many imPorts just to see how they ticked on the inside.

Now that was interesting news, and a little disappointing as well. Dooku had liked Raina better when he could think of her as... pure. Still, he put on his intrigued face and spun out some flattery, building off the tone that accompanied that mention of the hacker.

"Daisy? Yes, I have spoken with her. She is a rather coarse character, I would say. But Inhuman, now. Forgive me, but that seems a somewhat ugly term for a being as exceptional as yourself, Raina. Are you really content with such an unflattering description for your kind?"

He would return to her research and his idea in due time. One topic at a time... he could be patient, as he continued to build the relationship that was so vital to what he wanted to accomplish with her.

It did prickle on a few of her insecurities for even though Dooku couldn't see what she looked like, and wouldn't ever see it if she could help it, there was a part of Raina that did still hate what she had become. And it showed, the way her eyes shifted to the side at the mention of inhuman being an 'ugly term.'

"I don't imagine they knew what to call us. Ascended beings sounds a little bit too pretentious, don't you think?" Spinning it with mirth on her face, Raina then led the way to her office -- figuring any further questions he had about the research facility could be asked on the way now that he had seen the labs themselves.

"Daisy, however, is obnoxiously heroic. To a point where she becomes a bit problematic. I want nothing to do with her or our life back home, and yet she will not see reason and feels this need to be involved in the things I do." It was becoming tiresome. Raina seriously wished to sever her ties with Daisy Johnson and be done with it. "I warn you of this because I have little doubt she would take to watching your movements closely if she learns we are affiliated."

The Count caught that eye shift. So, charming and poised Raina did have an insecurity or two to touch upon. It was to be expected that someone of her intelligence would be able to recognize how unwholesome her... situation was. Dooku made a note to keep that in mind, should relations ever sour with the scientist.

"Heroic individuals can have their uses," he observed as he followed her into the office. Daisy was Unsettled, willing to protest the government's policies, had lost her job for her unpopular stance, and claimed to be a powerful computer expert: a promising combination, in Dooku's eyes. "But I will bear your warning in mind. She seems like someone who is rather skilled at finding out things... although perhaps not so wise in judging how to use the information."

"Her talents are unrivaled, really. At least in my world. There are plenty of other hackers in this one. Some better, some not. Some even having powers related to their talents." She smiled. The most delightful thing of all was that Daisy was not as talented as she thought she was compared to others in this world. "But she will ultimately do things for her own sense of justice which is often misguided and does not align with reason."

As soon as they reached her office, Raina closed the door behind them, locking it so they wouldn't be disturbed. Sure hope Dooku didn't have any allergies, though, because every available space within the room was filled with different floral arrangements -- all of her making.

"But we aren't here to talk about her. You had some matters you wanted to discuss." She circled around her desk to settle in the chair, gesturing toward another seat. "Please. Make yourself comfortable."

The Count did not have any allergies, and in fact took a moment to admire the lovely floral arrangements around them before he lowered himself into a seat and got down to the matter at hand.

"Thank you. I am sure you recall our last conversation, where you observed that LACKEY revealed something important to us: that our bodies have become dependent upon the government's machines for basic health functions." He steepled his fingers as he spoke, his voice low and serious, discussing portentous matters. "I believe it revealed something else as well."

Count Dooku took a breath, and said it. "LACKEY was able to control the Porter." He paused, then continued to elaborate. "It was connected to the machine without any reaction or defense from the consciousness that dwells within. Its power was limited, of course: it did not stop imPorts from being Ported out, for instance. But it did control our nanites, and demonstrated it could move our bodies remotely."

He leaned forward, his voice calm but an eager light glinting in his dark eyes. "This is the revelation, Raina: a sufficiently powerful Artificial Intelligence can safely interface with the artifact in Cape Canaveral, and gain a measure of control over it. This suggests that a machine more advanced than LACKEY might one day gain greater control over the Porter- if access could be gained to the base. And control over the Porter would open up vast new possibilities, would it not?"

Raina's eyes widened gradually at his revelation. While this fact was so simple, somehow it had escaped her notice or rather her observations. She had been so focused on what LACKEY could do that she neglected to think about it being hooked up to the porter to do it. And that? That did open up vast new possibilities. Not that the government would ever willingly allow them to do such a thing, but it didn't sound like Dooku was seeking the willingness of the government.

"Do you believe that some of the AI here would be capable of such a thing? I know we have had a few, and that we still have some. The child, Megaman comes to mind. But there are others, perhaps even more powerful." There was a momentary pause. "Or do you believe we would have to utilize LACKEY? Perhaps alter or enhance it in some way? Or even more difficult than that, create one of our own? Tony Stark has the capacity to do so, but when he did it before..."

She trailed off, hinting that such a thing had blown up entirely.

The Count was gratified the moment he saw her eyes widen- and perhaps, secretly a little relieved as well. If Raina had rejected the potential he saw, or if she had denounced the ambitions he spoke of, it would have been a drastic setback. But this- the immediate launching into different possibilities, the theorizing and excitement- this is precisely what he wanted.

"I am afraid that I do not yet have enough information to be sure," he mused. "The imPort AIs are strong, but there no way to test their strength without proper access- and convincing the government to grant such access would be a political challenge indeed." Or perhaps a military one, if need be. Dooku would not be denied.

"LACKEY is a creation of our enemies, and in government hands," he continued. "But I believe we must somehow learn its secrets if we are to find a path forward." With that, he leaned forward again, intent with curiosity.

"And just what did Tony Stark do, I wonder?"

Stark had been an imPort longer than almost anyone, and his reputation with technology was formidable. Dooku would not be surprised at all to learn that he had investigated these matters previously.

"There are imPorts who were close to that machine, weren't there? Magicman and Megaman come to mind. Perhaps they can be utilized when it comes to finding out LACKEY's secrets. And if you could find a way to liberate it from the hands of the government, I have no qualms about dissecting it to try and better understand how it works." Even if that meant killing the human host it was currently residing within. Which was pretty damn telling about Raina and the lengths she would go to for better scientific understanding.

Though as for Tony Stark, Raina looked up at Dooku and paused a moment. "Well, I cannot confirm what this Tony Stark has done. The oddest phenomena has occurred, particularly with my world -- but also some others, where there are actually alternate universes of our universes. A lot of the same events align, but some play out slightly differently from one another and others do not happen at all. I have a Tony Stark in my world, but it is not this Tony Stark. Still, I would have a difficult time not seeing the events of Ultron play out in both universes."

She mused for a moment, and then launched into the story. "Tony Stark was able to create life out of a machine. And with this life and ability to think on its own, Ultron came to existence with the purpose of fighting for peace and justice. But it had somehow become corrupted and saw humanity as the largest threat to peace. It then embarked on a journey to destroy humans and rewrite the world. The Avengers, a team of superheroes that Tony Stark belongs to, were able to stop him -- but not without major destruction along the way."

A beat. "I know all of this because I had seen it. And I don't mean on the television or in person. I mean, the very future before it came to transpire." She looked up, meeting and holding Dooku's gaze as she made her confession. "I am the Clairvoyant."

Dooku sat and listened attentively, silently exulting that Raina was opening up to him this much. His risk in disclosing his plans to her had paid off handsomely- this encounter had become a treasure trove of useful information. When he did respond, his voice was warm with excitement.

"I admit that I am not entirely surprised, Raina. Clairvoyance is a fitting ability for a person of your vision... and a most powerful one as well." So powerful that Dooku's head was already filling up with ways it could be used- or abused. "I appreciate the confidence you have taken me into. You have my word: your identity will remain safe with me."

"Now, then: Magicman, Megaman, and Tony Stark. I will remember these names, and discover what they know that might aid our cause," he said. Because it was a cause now, with a serious purpose, strong motivations, and a high yet clearly defined goal. They were going to change the world. "In return, I suggest you acquaint yourself with the scientists Duncan Jackson and Robert Callaghan, if you have not already. They are both reckless, yet clever- and willing to challenge the way things are. They could be useful allies."

He paused, then stroked his beard thoughtfully. "One more thing which we must consider. Time may not be against us in this matter. We do not know if the government is even now turning LACKEY to their own purposes, while they have it in their custody. If the imPorts are complacent, we may awaken one day to find that the military has installed their own AI into the Porter... to do with as they see fit."

She bowed her head to nod. Raina knew she could trust him to keep her secret safe. It put more power in his corner, after all -- to know she was the clairvoyant and to be able to approach her if there were things he needed to ask, things she may dream about at night. She hadn't foreseen anything in regards to the plans he was laying out now, but now that this alliance had been made -- she would pay closer attention in the evenings when she laid down to rest.

"It seems we are always working against time, unfortunately. I do not know those other scientists, but I will reach out to them at some point. I always do like to meet like-minded individuals. Which does remind me..."

Her grin took on an almost wicked cast. "There's something I want to show you." One last thing for Dooku to see -- one last thing he may wish to invest in. Raina rose to her feet and expected Dooku to do the same as she grabbed a set of special keys.

"By all means."

Dooku smiled back, and stood up from his chair accordingly, smoothing out his cape as he rose. He was immediately interested to see what further revelations she still had for him, after everything she had already showed and told. It was an exciting confirmation that their connection, their alliance was fast becoming strong.

Raina led the way toward an elevator. This elevator was locked with a variety of security measures -- a code, thumb print and card scan, which Raina went through systematically. And once it was open to them, she pressed the button to lead them to the basement. Upon arrival, it didn't appear to be much different than your average basement. Except there was a door with the same sort of security measures as the elevator that Raina led them to originally. And only once inside, Dooku would see Raina's private lab.

There were a variety of vials behind the glass door of a refrigeration unit. In the center of the room was a stainless steel gurney and sterilized surgical tools all wrapped neatly together. Otherwise, it was a standard lab with computers and various scientific equipment. The one out of place thing was something that appeared to be a dental chair sitting in the corner. Around it was a dome shaped covering that was meant to fit over a person's head and it attached to a monitor. A little gift from Tony Stark during his week of complete immorality.

But she didn't intend to talk about that, instead heading over to a covered cage and pulling back the cloth to reveal a variety of rats separated into three different sections. One group seemed to be abnormally strong and fast -- running mazes in record time or pushing items that should have been well beyond their capacity to move. The second group seemed to be much the same as the first, only slightly more sluggish and attached to a constant flow of an amber liquid pumping directly into their bodies through tiny IV attachments. The third group however, seemed to be sickly rats laying on a bedding of ashes.

Raina glanced over at Dooku. "Back home, I was involved in something called the Centipede project. We essentially created what we know as imPorts in this world. Granted, it wasn't with the same sort of variety. But these soldiers were given enhanced strength, speed and healing through our serum. As you can imagine, they became quite the unstoppable force. They don't tire very easily, pain doesn't effect them as much, all of their senses are enhanced while taking the serum."

She drummed her fingers on the edge of one of the tanks. "But...that isn't to say it's not without its side effects."

As if on cue, one of the sickly rodents let out a painful squeal before his body suddenly burst into flames.

It was a good thing that Dooku had no sex drive to speak of and little to no capacity to really care for people: otherwise, there is a good chance that seeing Project Centipede, after everything else they had discussed, would have made him fall in love with Raina a little bit. He walked forward to get a better look with keen interest in his narrowed eyes, showing not a trace of sympathy for the animal roasting alive in front of him. No, he was much more interested in the first group: the rats that had been imbued with power.

"My dear Raina." His voice was a deep, smooth purr. "You are just full of surprises, aren't you? This is exceptional work. If it could be adapted to suitably trained human hosts..." An army of super-soldiers. Just the thing to help gain access to the Porter, should politics and diplomacy fail.

The Count observed the rats a few seconds more, idly waving smoke away from his nostrils. Extraordinary as Raina's research was, the side effects were hardly pleasant, and nor was the smell of burning rat fur drifting up toward his nose. Then he turned back to Raina, smiling yet again.

"Whatever you require in order to ensure this project's success, I will do all in my power to provide," he promised her, thoroughly in earnest (for the moment). "This is as much the future as any vision of the Clairvoyant. Together with our allies, we shall usher in a new age for imPorts, for this world- perhaps even for the universe."

Raina grinned, feeling proud of her little project -- even moreso seeing it meet his approval. She always had a good feeling about Dooku -- that he would see the world the way she did. And it was nice to know she was right to that end. "I do have three human specimens who have volunteered to take the serum. The project began roughly ten months ago, and they are still alive and well. The rate of degradation is much slower in humans than rodents. And we've been able to utilize what we've learned from imPort blood with healing properties to make a vaccine that prevents the inevitable dependency."

She made a gesture toward the second group of rodents when she mentioned that much. "I currently use them as bodyguards myself. But I could gift you one. A show of good will and our alliance toward this brighter future you speak about."

Dooku raised an eyebrow at that. Such a guard could be a powerful weapon... or a spy for Raina to ensure his loyalty to their alliance. Either option constituted a reason for the Count to accept the offer: he had nothing to hide from her at the moment, and their bond would be stronger if she had her own means of confirming that.

"That would be delightful, my dear." That purring note was sounding in his voice again. "A man like myself can always use a little more protection. I assume these subjects are fully loyal, in addition to their stable powers."

It wasn't really a question. He would be surprised if there was any question of their reliability, but Dooku had learned the hard way that one's assets could become threats at a moment's notice.

"They are. I chose only the perfect candidates for the job. With Daisy's presence in this world, I had to proceed with a great deal more caution than I would normally like." There was a tinge of annoyance in her voice. The scientist in Raina felt stifled by the constant set of eyes on her actions. She had hoped the girl would port out, but unfortunately that didn't seem to be happening.

"But hopefully soon, I will have the means and facility away from her constantly prying eyes to further my research." Which was also a subtle hint that she desired his aid in such a thing, should he like the prototype of a bodyguard he would be receiving.

"I can send a soldier to you by tomorrow. Was there anything else you wanted to ask of me in the meantime?"

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