9133/Who wants to be lost in space

Who wants to be lost in space
Date of Scene:	17 December 2021
Location:	102 20th St - Jessica Drew's Building
Synopsis:	Bolognese and going into space.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Erickson, Jessica Drew

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Michael Erickson has posed:
    Astronomy. It's a good thing. Sitting on Jessica's couch, Michael cycles through a stack of textbooks and reference materials, uncapped pen in his mouth, scribbling in margins in the barbed, flowing script of the Shi'ar as he makes constant notation. Lots of things crossed out, irritable scribbles and likely corrections. His expression is as irritable as said scribbles, to boot.

    "You know," he calls into the apartment proper through clenched, pen-clasping teeth, "I feel like I'm writing science fiction here with all the divides beween what humans know about the stars and what I know. And I'm not even a scientist."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica ducks to look at him over the breakfast counter, "What are you going to do if the information you know gets out? Won't other scientists of the earthly variety come looking for you?"

Her face disappears as she returns to stirring the onions, garlic, dried red pepper and diced carrots that sizzle in a pot. Tonight, it's no hold barred carbs with her favorite tomato-y version of Bolognese sauce. A package of lean ground beef and pork sit on a plate, ready for her to crumble into the sauteed vegetables.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well it's not going to get out where the Xavier kids are concerned." More scribbling, and he squints kitchenward. "Well that smells good already. What are you making?" But he only lets a second pass before he's squinting down at his reading again. "Ancient Throne, would you listen to this! 'While the concept of the wormhole, also known as a Einstein-Rosen bridge, is a tantalizing concept, modern studies have all but disproven the concept.' Do you know what the transport that brought me here went through to arrive in this system?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
"I'm making my version of Bolgonaise sauce. A bit more tomato than the classic Italian style. And I spurged and got out of season asparagus to roast with mushrooms on the side. Does that sound alright?"

Sounds of stirring ensue and then the sizzle of meat being added to the pot.

"Jane Foster would like to know that science, I warrant."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well I'm glad to know we're going to have your special brand of anything, halan," he says a touch distractedly, then looks back up from his scribbling. "Faster-than-light travel is entirely possible, but the time-dilation effect makes it ridiculous; no point dropping troops over a planet marked for conquest when they've had fifty years to see us coming. Cannot run an empire like that, either. We make use of what we call Stargates, synthetic wormholes linking two locations. That's the primary method of long-range travel through the Empire, sort of like roads. But then there's also hyperspace, which lets you get wherever you need to be on a slower, but more flexible manner. Stargates are instantaneous; hyperspace takes a bit longer, as you're traveling through a whole other dimension."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"As I said, this bears repeating. One student loses their homework or opens their mouth in the wrong place and you will be on every scientific and military short-list in the developed world."

She adds a splash of red wine to the cooking meat and then industriously opens cans of imported roma tomatoes. They really do make a difference.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh, certainly." He goes back to poking at pages. "That's what I'm doing here - marking out two class thrads, essentially 'What humans know' and 'what the rest of us know', essentially. Lets them know the truth while still able to discuss the subject with everyday people wuthout sounding like a maniac."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"It's more like they would be in danger of their lives, Calha." The sound of cabinets being closed and water running in the sink follows. Jess comes out of the kitchen drying her hands on a towel which she deposits on the breakfast bar.

"It will be ready in an hour and a half. I really should let it go longer but I'm getting hungry."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "They've already been in danger of their lives," he replies. "You were there for some of it, right?" He grabs a notepad and begins to sketch out diagrams. "Mmmm. Speaking of Jane...I'm going to ask, after our talk last night, about trainig a unit of SHIELD and SWORD agents to fight and serve on other planets."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"How could I forget? All mutants are always in danger, Calha. Always. As you are, as I am. It just adds another factor of risk, is all."

Well, aware of her lack of scientific background, Jessica sighs to herself and nods to Cal'hatar as she sits down and picks up the book she's reading. "So, do you think it will go through?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Mmmm." He sits back, crossing his legs, forgetting his astronomical lore immediately at the thought of this new subject. "I think that if SWORD doesn't already have something, they should at least have a small corps, a response team. I expect that your governments won't want to venture beyond your star system, but humanity cannot rely on metahumanity for their defense forever. A group of SHIELD or SWORD agents, trained to Imperial standards after adjustment for reduced human physical ability, would be fearsome. And, I would put forward, necessary given the uptick of offworld activity."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jess looks up from her book with a smile, eyebrows lifted, "Are you so sure about the reduced physical ability? If there is a team of mutants or Inhumans like myself. In fact, I would talk to Bobbi Morse about that or Jane. Some things are still 'need to know'.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh, I'm sure," says Michael, chuckling faintly. "But that's my point, right? I'm talking about everday human agents as much as you metahumans, halan - Agent Bob, not just Agent Drew." He smirks, now, a look of delighted mischief rising in his face. "But of course, as my handler, you'll have to learn, too. So that I'm not off actually staging a coup or something, naturally."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Naturally." She sticks her tongue out at him and withdraws it as quickly as she made the face. "Ah...would a Shi'ar do that? Stick their tongue out, I mean? Or did I just damn you or something equally as bad?

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He snorts. "I could do with more tongue-waggling from the beautiful woman across the couch from me," Michael says, waggling the fingers of one hand at her and smirking. "In any case, I could see it. A small corps. Each agent put through Imperial physical conditioning, scaled down for human capacity. I've trained species with lesser physical ability, certainly, for my unit in the day." Oh no, now the wheels in his head are actively turning. Everyone is doomed. "Mmmm. Armored vaccuum suits, likely. And we'll need to do something about weapons...chemical arms aren't going to work in a vaccuum. Can't reproduce energy weapons easily, either, not with this planet's resources... and there's government budgets to consider..."

Jessica Drew has posed:
She smiles faintly at the compliment, "I still say we won't need that much scaling down, Michael. But you are right about the weapons. Weren't the Tannhauser people selling some of the super advanced weaponry when you were working for them?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well that's exactly it," Michael says, clucking his tongue. "The Tannhauser group's weaponry is advanced, but it's all entirely earthly technology. It's not so powerful that it won't outstrip your traditional chemical firearms by much, either - you could deliver ICER rounds, I imagine, with some modification of the technology. For example. But by using an electromagnetic delivery method, you see, you could use the weapons on other worlds, other climates, underwater. All these things where chemical firearms require all sorts of seals and the like." He considers. "And any environ that precludes electromagnetic weapons are likely going to preclude other technologies, so chemical firearms might have a place there, too. Or just hand-to-hand combat." His brows arch. "Yes. It absolutely could work. We just need to crack the Tannhauser group and get all their master design data."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"We just have to crack the Tannhauser group." After a moment's reflection, Jess narrows her eyes at Michael, "I have a terrible idea. We could turn Dottie loose on them if we are only interested in the weapons but if SHIELD is heading the operation then...no. Besides I'm not that bloody minded."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh I quite already thought of that," he replies, brows lifting faintly. "You see, I /am/ that bloody-minded, halan. Let Dottie infiltrate and steal what we need, leave them open for capture. She could help us bring down the whole damned group, all at once." Cal'hatar shrugs. "It's part of why I wanted her. She's useful."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Would it be a SHIELD operation? I wonder if the Chief would sign off on us running it with Dottie along?" She snorts a laugh, "I know you are, halan. But is wiping them out the message we want to leave? Don't we want the weapons manufacturer, anyway?"

She unfolds from the couch suddenly and heads for the kitchen. "Got to stir the sauce."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well, that's the point." With a thoughtful sound in the deep reaches of his throat, he sits up again and picks up a sheaf of notes. "The Chief wants her put to purpose, and we have a purpose to put her to - and just sitting around letting her rot isn't going to solve anything. She needs distraction."

    With a baleful squint at the notes he sighs and tosses them back down, giving it up for the evening. "And wiping them out is the best way. Not kill them, you know, but arrest them all. Drill them, put them to question. All my research suggests they were building these weapons in their own facility; we can take their stock, take their data, burn the rest. Or confiscate it. Ether way, Dottie's a key to this situation. And it proves that she's useful to everyone else - she might not care what people thinks, but she needs something to do."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Sticking her head around the corner of the kitchen, Jess makes an apologetic face, "Sorry about cutting into your study time. We need to make a plan, obviously, and talk to the Chief. Something more than, we are going to release Dottie on our enemies."

She aims her finger like a gun. "Do you have any recent reconnaissance on them, halan?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "You're not cutting into it," he says with a laugh, getting to his feet and crossing into the kitchen; he lingers at the breakfast bar, watching her cook from a safe distance. Safe for whom? Probably her. "I'm done trying to disentangle things for tonight. As for a plan, I rather actually have one. Well, a greater plan, at least. Obviously we'll need to research the Tannhauser situation - but that's a good thing for Dottie, too." He grunts. "I feel as though if the Chief allows her to walk the halls, someone should at least be nice to her. I know she's got problems, but I can't help but like her."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jess wrinkles her nose at him, "You just have a thing for assassins and mutants, is all. I do feel sorry for her, somewhat. I would feel sorrier if I knew she was trying to overcome her conditioning instead of reveling in it."

With a flourish, she sets the pot lid on edge and double checks the flame under the pot. "We've got half an hour to go. Time for more wine. Are you thinking of letting her do the reconnaissance alone?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jess wrinkles her nose at him, "You just have a thing for assassins and mutants, is all. I do feel sorry for her, somewhat. I would feel sorrier if I knew she was trying to overcome her conditioning instead of reveling in it."

With a flourish, she sets the pot lid on edge and double checks the flame under the pot. "We've got half an hour to go. Time for more wine. Are you thinking of letting her do the reconnaissance alone?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Mmmm." He leans against the bar, arms folding on its surface. "More that I just don't feel like tarring others with the same brush that I myself could be smeared with. And I don't know, Agent, you're the one in charge, mmm? What do you think?"