capeandcowl | 024 // Video; Peter Parker's comm, backdated to yesterday evening

I feel like I've been making a lot of these posts lately, but -- Jessica Drew is gone, again. Between her, MJ, Gwen, Johnny ... when I signed the contract for this house a month and a half ago there were supposed to be nine people moving in. Right now there are five. [He sighs.] Of course, the way Lachesis plays her game we'll probably get everyone back by the end of the summer with a few more thrown in for good measure. But then there's the superstitious part of me that wonders if we didn't jinx things somehow by moving out of the MAC. [A faint smile plays across his face.] Not that being crammed like sardines in standard imPort housing was a survivable long-term solution, especially not with eight teenagers and your standard New York -- sorry, City -- summer weather, but still.

[For a few moments Peter stares off into the middle distance, tapping a pen against his lip. Then his gaze firms again and he continues:] Tell you what, I really want to know whether it's only confirmation bias or the clustering illusion that makes it seem like more imPorts have been disappearing lately, across the board. Especially now that Vulcanus is sticking its head out of its shell again. [His face twists. He really doesn't want to think about this, but.] Seems like what we really need is to figure out a way to know for sure that people have been sent home, as opposed to ... well, the alternatives. I've been bouncing some ideas off Professor Solus -- not literally -- but if any of you other sciencey types want to help brainstorm, we're game.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I dunno, mister, my friends always leave. I don't think they um, fall into volcanoes or whatever.

It sucks.

[What even] Yeah, I'd say they'd have to be pret-ty unlucky to fall into volcanoes. Interesting example, by the by.

Well you said something about volcanoes, didn't you? I thought it was weird, but you never know.

permavoice

incywincyhero - 2012-08-19 23:12 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

yelloweyesdarksomething - 2012-08-19 23:30 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-20 20:38 (UTC) - Expand

yelloweyesdarksomething - 2012-08-21 04:47 (UTC) - Expand

I would urge you to reconsider this course, as I highly doubt Vulcanus is currently kidnapping imPorts, and it appears to be a drastic misallotment of resources we should be using for more dire circumstances.

Namely that Vulcanus boasts they can identify us.

I really don't think it's an either/or thing -- especially with the number of big brains we have running around at the moment. Plus ... unless someone's proven a connection between Vulcanus and those poor folks who were tortured a few months back, they're not the only ones who see imPorts as targets. Whatever they're up to, we're vulnerable as long as we have no way of differentiating between a port out and an abduction.

I don't believe that connection needs to be proven. It can be safely assumed.

That is not logical. We are more vulnerable to their identification.

voice;

incywincyhero - 2012-08-18 00:01 (UTC) - Expand

hacktivist - 2012-08-18 00:02 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-18 00:13 (UTC) - Expand

hacktivist - 2012-08-18 00:27 (UTC) - Expand

[ oh screa jess said something about the government getting all the other kids from their universe

and now she's gone too....... ]

W-- what's Vulcanus...?

[With more wishful thinking than genuine hope that he'll dissuade Miles:] Grown-up stuff...?

[And then relenting:] No, no, you need to know this. But hang on, it's better discussed face to face.

remake - 2012-08-20 07:15 (UTC) - Expand

What, like, sticking microchips in people, or something?

What? Ew, no, of course not.

voice

motherfucked - 2012-08-17 22:07 (UTC) - Expand

voice, encrypted;

incywincyhero - 2012-08-17 23:30 (UTC) - Expand

motherfucked - 2012-08-17 23:35 (UTC) - Expand

ditto;

incywincyhero - 2012-08-19 23:14 (UTC) - Expand

motherfucked - 2012-08-20 04:04 (UTC) - Expand

This is getting old.

You're telling me. Doing all right?

text

prydes - 2012-08-17 22:18 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-17 22:22 (UTC) - Expand

text; haha >///>

prydes - 2012-08-17 22:24 (UTC) - Expand

text; no worries i saw nothing :>

incywincyhero - 2012-08-17 23:37 (UTC) - Expand

text; you so didn't

prydes - 2012-08-18 02:06 (UTC) - Expand

text;

incywincyhero - 2012-08-18 11:28 (UTC) - Expand

prydes - 2012-08-19 01:44 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-19 23:15 (UTC) - Expand

Jessica too now?

Yep. I'm sorry, Gil.

video

invoking - 2012-08-18 12:10 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-19 23:16 (UTC) - Expand

invoking - 2012-08-19 23:27 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-19 23:38 (UTC) - Expand

invoking - 2012-08-19 23:42 (UTC) - Expand

Kinda makes sense to assume it's the machine though, doesn't it? Simplest answer, since it brought us here in the first place.

Yeah, well, once you've had friends you thought were ported out show up at the clinic after getting roughed up and tortured, you learn it's dangerous to make assumptions.

nutritionalexpert - 2012-08-19 02:35 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-19 23:59 (UTC) - Expand

You really feel as if we're that vulnerable, don't you?

More like I really feel I need to stop pretending we're not that vulnerable, because we always have been.

elongates - 2012-08-20 00:51 (UTC) - Expand

Sorry to hear about you and, you know. Yours, but. ...What kind of alternatives, exactly?

[ Because Jen.

]

Don't ... jump to any conclusions or anything, Bruce. The people who seem to have been ported out -- well, they've probably been ported out. But there've been kidnappings and stuff in the past, so -- I just want to be able to make sure.

[Surprise Mordin is working. He doesn't even look up at the camera, busy tapping away at something on his omni-tool.]

Anticipate strong response from community at large. Assuming many tired of uncertainty when friends and family disappear.

PRIVATE

Have been making good progress. Previous scans of Porter might have data usable in isolating unique Porter energy. Could be key to developing sensor.

Is there anyway to confirm that people have been ported out instead of kidnapped?

That's pretty much what Professor Solus and I are trying to figure out. ... Wait, are you--?

[text]

agentofshield - 2012-08-19 06:18 (UTC) - Expand

incywincyhero - 2012-08-20 00:28 (UTC) - Expand

agentofshield - 2012-08-20 01:52 (UTC) - Expand

Parker, don't be absurd.

I know you and bad luck are the very best of friends, but-- I doubt moving is what made her disappear.

I didn't mean I thought that literally. [Slightly annoyed, and yet relieved to vent just a teensy bit of frustration in a socially sanctioned manner.]

bedeviledspider - 2012-08-24 01:16 (UTC) - Expand

voice

voice