Contraptions Galore!

We set up the camera to watch over the throne area to check for activity. We have it sending live feeds to Makeshift's phone so we can watch to see what happens. While we are waiting, he mentions that he had been talking to a guy in a local diner. I perk up at the mention of food and use that to motivate him to go and get some time to refresh. It has been an afternoon. This is the Mex Carroll Diner - Mexican American food so I have a hot Philly cheesesteak with fries. Food is good and we both just listen to the conversation going on around us. Close by are some city engineers talking about an issue with the stop lights at the corner north of us. We are just about to have to either buy dessert or leave when sparkles re-appear and all of the people around us react to them! I wonder if it has to do with the time of day - maybe the sun's refraction has to be at a certain angle for them to be seen by most people? Some people think it is the fault of AIM. Others mention that they have been appearing for a few months now - well since the middle of August when a Watchmen event in the harbor seemed to start it all. The city investigated as do Star Labs, but no answers have been shared and it does appear that no one actually has an answer. One person even mentions that he didn't understand until now why his union provided a clause for pay due to super villain activity.
 
One thing is clear it is only the harbor district that is being impacted and that no one has any answers. Star Labs did say to call them if the sparkles become more frequent, but most people seem to take it in stride or ignore it. It is even possible to place bets with bookies as to when the sparkles will stop! I lean over to ask why no one follows the sparkles to see where they go and they look at me like I am crazy. After all, the sparkles go through walls and into the ground! A few more questions and the fact that no sparkles are seen over the water or coming from the direction of the harbor. Makeshift and I decide to head west and check out the harbor to see whether or not sparkles appear at all or if no one is seeing them. We get there and look around. He thinks the best place to start is under the pier. UNDER the pier where it is wet and cold. I stay on top to keep a lookout while he goes below. After several minutes, he comes back up and tells me that he found a hollow support beam with a room.
 
This room has two chairs - which we both agree we will NOT sit in - and technology from pre-WWI. We teleport in as there is no other way to get there without letting the water in. Inside are two workstations. One has what appears to be a seismograph, tracking, and communication equipment. Also some sealed MREs and what looks like an emergency oxygen supply which I will not be checking to see if it still works as this equipment is older and even if the oxygen tanks are still there, who knows if they are full. Makeshift uses what he calls X-Ray vision and looks closely at the other station. It appears that there are some modifications that are either collecting or using the sparkles. It is also based upon concentric rings with something in the center that is either based on or created to look like part of the floor design in the throne room. While he is using his supersuit, I look around the box to glean what information I can.
 
During the 1910's or 20"s there was a masked man of history known as "The Black Eagle" who disappeared during WWI. He was thought to have come from a wealthy NE family which explains the use of what was experimental and cutting edge technology of the time inside this box. I would also say that this structure was built during the same time as the Brooklyn Bridge as it would have taken the same equipment and these piers support the traffic that would have been needed once the bridge was active. The "Black Eagle" lived on a private estate on Long Island which would also seem to point to this being either a secret lair or an information gathering location. Likely there were two people per shift working in tandem to watch for danger and that makes it very likely a ladder is set into wall to hide and puling it out might open some hatch so I decide that looking for a ladder now would not be a great idea. It aslo appears that the support pillar does not actually support the pier but is just for this contraption and it has air flow going through the pillar. I do think there should be a periscope to make sure the coast is clear and then a freighter could dock above to cover shift changes. I would bet that a submarine would dock below to handle equipment replacements using that same technique to keep out water as I have seen during my pearl dive expeditions. This was probably abandoned when he died as none of the technology has been updated since - well except for what Makeshift is finding in the other workstation.
 
We theorized that there would be other structures in an even circle at the same distance from the throne room. As we started a clockwise circle, we found that the distance was not even, but it was close. The installations were inside maintenance sheds, outbuildings, or even a storefront that had enough of a presence to hide the true purpose. As we are approaching one of the buildings, we see three others entering the building that we are investigating next. They are staring at us so we stare back!