Think Tank

by Feral

AIMing to Misbehave: Chapter 4

Plot
| Sep 18, 2022

The heroes must do some detective work to uncover the mysterious past of Dr. Grimm so they can unravel what he intends for the future. Meanwhile, while they deal with the threat of Team Luthor, they must contend with the shadow of the Hammer Empire!

Tuesday

November 10

2009

about 3:30 pm

As we piled out of the SUV in the parking lot for Bait Foundation (not called that), my headset went off with a pre-recorded private message for me. Not work-related, just a family update. The Thanksgiving break is coming up, after all, and a lot of the students will be heading off to their folks' places for a mini vacation. It is work related, however, that I might have been a smidge distracted.

Fortunately, Martin is right there too. If trouble had jumped us at this moment, I would have had the four seconds I needed to focus on my job.

Mostly "my job" right now is to stay out of the way while some scientific investigation happens. Biology, nanotech, cloud computing: these are not my lane. I herded Martin into driving me and the Rescue Boys through the nearest drive-through because I wanted some fuel, yes; I also wanted a prop. A justification for camping in the building lobby, where there is no reason to stick my whiskers into the work of the current Special Projects Think Tank.

It sounds like they are learning a lot of stuff in there. Half of what they are discovering might turn out to be of no use. That's fine: it's the one little thing that will make someone on the project go "hunh!" later that we want.

Might even be something they learn now that seems like a side thread, but gets retextualized when we compare notes with Medkit in an hour or so.

I need to phrase this in my next Interim Report so I don't sound like a condescending plonk, though. I like not being Project Lead on this job. I would have been a terrible fit for it -- see previous, re: biotech, cloud computing, my years of diligent work to present myself as Not A Scientist to the rest of Wyldfire. If this was subatomic particle science

which, God help us, it's gonna be later

I would be trying to contribute usefully. If in a severely crabby tone.

God, I don't want LexCorp and/or AIM and/or this Grimm turkey to be mucking around with cross-dimensional waveforms. This has never been Wyldfire's intended area. Ought to be a Watchmen problem, while we handle capitalism-based villainy. So how come the first time I met Wyldfire, it involved a pit trap to an alternate reality? And I notice the current roster for this Special Project in progress is

cross-dimensional lady,

cross-dimensional gentleman,

dubiously multidimensional cinnamon roll,

actual local human being, whose family tree has got more cross-dimensional touristry than the Previouslies montage of that Tembi Locke show we used to watch in the staff lounge when Steve was a long-term visitor,

and me. Undersized general-purpose survivor.

I have no stones to throw here. I can't support a pretense that I had no advanec warning.

Stupid profit-motive villains.

My next Interim Report will have to not step on any of the scientific discoveries that Project Lead gets to describe. Not put too much of a subduing effect onto the inquiry paths that a potential rescue effort would have to consider, either. They might be able to compare notes with Dr. M himself, instead of trying to access his notes off key words. At the same time, I mustn't skew or bias any considerations outside survival-critical safety issues.

Let's see how this will sound:

I'm doing guard post in the lobby of Bait Corporation. The doctors are in there crossing AIM with Addams Family. I don't want any on my lunch. Eventually they will make a moss cryptid, learn what we need to figure out, and come out here because they know where Grimm is getting a component that he can't transport around the countryside. What has Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania got that mad fungal science needs? Personal note: Big Belly Burger has a limited time caramel pumpkin milkshake for November that is sweet enough I can taste it. Probably too sweet for humans? Whatever, I love it.

You know what would be interesting? Records search. City contractors involved in the understructure of this part of the city, what, twenty years ago. Any related directly to Grimm? If not, what about his thesis advisor? Where'd he go to Mad Science School, anyway?

For that matter, I kind of want to see the site surveys from back then. Maybe aerial photography. Use to be so many industrial businesses in this area of the lake's coast, was that just for shipping? was this the most solid bedrock near a shipping lane that eventually connects to the river and then the Atlantic? Did the primary train depot use to be up here? What abo---

- Feral stops in mid-syllable.

An alien-seeming musical vocalization comes from
inside the insulated laboratory.

After four seconds, the recording ends.

Continue reading...

Breakfast in the Alps
August 17, 2009

8.18.09 pt 1: Officially Official Burning
August 18, 2009

8.18.09 pt 2: DPS
August 18, 2009

8.20.09: Glowing Crystals
August 20, 2009

8.20.09: Interdimensional job hopping supervillain
August 20, 2009

8.20.09: Mind over Matter lasts 12 seconds
August 20, 2009

8.20.09: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
August 20, 2009

Raid on Oscorp Metropolis
Thursday, October 15, 2009 through Saturday, October 17, 2009

Let's not be Fred.
Saturday, October 17, 2009

I'm not a lab 'accident', I'm a lab 'intentional'
Saturday, October 17, 2009

These are my good clothes.
Monday, October 19, 2009

the opposite of competent infiltration
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

we may be fired
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

We are not fired after all.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I do like aquariums.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tappy-Tappy
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

He ought to be easy to spot
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Five Front Battles
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Misbehavior
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Danger: Electrical Hazard
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Grimm Phase Two
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Think Tank
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

We have detectors now
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Historically, H.E. "Warwolves" are feline.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Be sure where the attack will land
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Kaiju Plauntie
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Preparations: Resurrection Protocol
Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Technical Difficulties in the Hollows
Thursday, December 10, 2009

Society of Cover Identities
Thursday, December 10, 2009

Think Tank

AIMing to Misbehave: Chapter 4

Continue reading...

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