6243/Stranger Tides: The Gathering Pt1
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| Stranger Tides: The Gathering Pt1 | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 21 January 2019 |
| Location: | California coast |
| Synopsis: | Staff are hired for a marine research project |
| Cast of Characters: | Fathom, June Connor, Hulk |
| Tinyplot: | Stranger Tides |
- Fathom has posed:
The word went out, starting with academic channels but expanding through word of mouth or people posting the info to various online places. A marine research vessel, the Paradise Found, out of Southern California would be doing data collection over the next few weeks for an ocean current study in the Pacific. Aspen Matthews heading up the project. She's a well known Ph.D in marine biology and oceanography circles. Others might recognize her name as having won a gold medal for the US in swimming in Paris in 2020, only to have her medal stripped for blood doping. The "America's Shame" cover of Time was a particularly painful memory. But one that is thankfully 8 years in the past now.
Aspen is at the marina where the boat is docked, overseeing equipment and supplies being loaded. She glances towards the parking lot every once in awhile, keeping out for the pair that had called, expressing interest in the programming and deckhand jobs. After hearing their experience, getting June's resume in particular, she'd asked them both by to meet and go over some contracts and get a briefing on the project.
- June Connor has posed:
Southern California in January? Hell yes. June may have been willing to do this even if she was cleaning the poopers. June's attire isn't quite as professional as some might like, small gauges in her ears, and her nose and lip both have points that may indicate other piercings that are currently missing. She didn't dress for the office, since she was told it was going to be on a boat. Instead, she wore a swimsuit, a black bikini top visible through a white loose fitting Killer's t-shirt and a pair of cut-off shorts. She's young, not even twenty years.
Her resume wasn't entirely impressive, but her portfolio was, with fantastic coding that had been written for some sort of linked camera network that was created to 'streamline city awareness for the city of Gotham.
She carries a black duffle over one shoulder, and a small backpack strapped over both, presumably carrying her laptop.
- Hulk has posed:
Bruce Banner was reading an article in a magazine while walking towards the Marina at a leisurely pace. Adjusting his glasses, Bruce looks up to see if he was close, and realises he almost walked into the water. Rolling the magazine up, and placing it in his back pocket, Bruce maneuvers towards where the meeting was supposed to take place.
Bruce doesn't carry anything except what he was wearing, and the aforementioned magazine. With a deep breath, he moves closer towards the boat he was told to meet Aspen for the deck hand job. With a slight smile, and using his left hand to run through his straggly mess of hair once to try and make it look neater, Bruce arrives at the boat. "Hello? Is anyone there? It's Bruce. The man who applied for the job?"
- Fathom has posed:
Aspen is far from dressed up herself. A pair of shorts and a cut-off tee with a faded UC San Diego logo on it. She has a stack of boxes of foodstuffs on the deck next to the gang plank that she's been carrying in two at a time to stow in the galley. The brunette in her mid-twenties looks up as the man and woman approach. Aspen's eyes are an exotic light violet color, and she offers them a friendly enough smile. "Yes, please, come aboard. And would you be June, then?" Aspen asks of the other woman. Having googled her, assuming there was s social media account with a picture, Aspen probably has a good idea that it is her. "I'm Aspen Matthews, we spoke on the phone," she confirms. "Welcome aboard the Paradise. Want to come inside and grab a water or soda? We can go over the project and what we need," she offers.
- June Connor has posed:
June glances over her shoulder, spotting Bruce, then gives an arch of her brow. She opens her mouth to speak, but then Aspen announces herself, and she turns back. "Hey," she answers. "Yeah, all day long," she confirms. "That'd be pretty dope, never been out on the ocean before, this is a first." She grabs the railing, and pulls herself up to the boat's deck, glancing again at Bruce. "Anyone ever tell you you look like Bruce Wayne?" she asks, voicing the question she was going to ask earlier.
- Hulk has posed:
With a nervous smile, and a quick nod of his head, Bruce says, "Thank you ma'am." Then, he looks over his shoulder, and notices, for the first time, the arrival of June. Bruce's eyes narrow, as he tries to remember the woman he was recognizing from somewhere. "Bruce...Wayne?" Bruce smiles, and shakes his head, "No, but thank you for the compliment! I only wish, then I wouldn't need to work as a deck hand!" Looking back at Aspen as she welcomes them aboard, Bruce says, "Um. Thank you. That would be nice."
Walking on board the Paradise, Bruce takes a minute to look around from where he was standing, and then adds, "Um, water would be fine, thank you. Nice ship you have here. She looks sturdy and ready for the ocean." He says that last, trying not to show any nervousness, but a confidence. "You have an interesting mission. I am hoping I can help, in some small way."
- Fathom has posed:
The ship is indeed sturdy. A double hull rated for ice, with a sloping bow to cut through waves and a superstructure up front to help protect the work area in back. There are two cranes for deploying equipment, and long booms which can be extended for dragging cables full of survey equipment or the like. There are welding kits, dive gear, even a small diving bell for deeper depths.
Aspen looks over at the new deckhand at the question that June posed. "Hmm, I think he looks like that actor from Now You See Me," she comments before motioning with her head for them to follow her inside. The first room inside the deckhouse is the largest, with some desks around the sides and computers, plus a number of larger monitors up near the ceiling lining each wall. Work tables for repairs, and a lit chart table. "This is where we'll do most of the work," she says. "There's a galley through there. A couple of small rooms with bunks off it. Upstairs to the wheel house," Aspen explains, letting them see through the doorway but staying here for now.
"So we'll be working for the Cranston maritime company. The short of it is, there are some strange current patterns that are causing problems for shipping. Delays arriving, extra fuel usage. The costs add up. They are hiring us to investigate what it is going on. Why the predictive models that NOAA uses aren't predicting them. And potentially come up with updated models. Some of this will be proprietary, so you'll have to sign non-disclosure agreements. Some of the data will be released to academia after. It's going to be an exciting data set. We never have the kind of funding for this resolution over such a large area," Aspen says, her eyes lit up at that last part.
- June Connor has posed:
As Aspin describes the job, June gives a duping grin, "Sure," she answers, nodding as if it were exciting to her as well. "So are we thinkin' we're gonna find some earthquake or something changed it? I mean, I thought currents do basically the same thing," she comments, then winces. "I mean, other than that they are moving and shit. And stuff," she corrects her language. "Wait, for Cranston, oh, I've done work with them before." Not on her resume.
- Hulk has posed:
Looking first at Aspen, then at June, and back to Aspen, Bruce allows a nervous laugh, and a smile. "I can handle that. Big actor job. Sounds good to me." Bruce shuffles his feet a bit, and looks at the equiment on deck, storing it all away inside his head for future reference. Never know when it would be important to know what was on board. Bruce follows the two ladies inside.
"Good to know." Bruce comments, nodding at the locations while sizing up the computers and the monitors. He doesn't comment further, nodding at the "Cranston" revelation. His eyes take themselves from the computers, to Aspen directly when she starts to describe the strange currents, absorbing everything she says with a nod. When June chimes in, Bruce stays quiet, and smiles at her use of profanity.
- Fathom has posed:
There will be full safety briefings and going over the boat's features and equipment later, of course. Aspen is experienced at these sorts of research projects. It will show in their on-boarding experience into it. Though those can happen later.
"Various things can affect currents. Temperature is the big one. You've heard of El Nino and La Nina? Those are variations in the currents that seem to recur in cycles. Water salinity can affect things to. The amount of salt and other particulates isn't always constant, in part due to temperature, rainfall, ice sheet melt off. It's actually a fairly complicated thing to model," Aspen explains. "Thus our needing to gather the data to do a good job of it. There's another programmer, Katherine, who has a lot of experience with the math involved that you'll be assisting June. But we need programs for data collection, cleansing, etc, before we even get to doing the science."
Aspen looks to Bruce and asks, "Do you feel comfortable with the boat set up? June, you won't have to be at sea with us the entire time. You can program from the boat, but can stay in California or work remotely in stretches too. We have some money for a few flights when we need to gather together."
- June Connor has posed:
"Oh, okay," June says, suddenly feeling out of her depth, "Nah it's chill. It'd be fuckin' A to work on a boat, y'know." She doesn't seem to notice that she cussed this time. "I'm gonna drop my shit someplace, and I gotta pee." She hoists the duffle again. "Be back in a minute." Without waiting for 'permission' she turns, and heads back to where the bunks are to drop her stuff, and find the toilet on board.
- Hulk has posed:
As Aspen goes over the briefing, Bruce nods, and absorbs everything he can, especially the scientific considerations and models. When she mentions his name, Bruce starts, and turns his attention back to the moment at hand. "Oh! Yes, of course. Pretty straight forward. Shouldn't be an issue. I can handle anything she can throw at me, Captain!"
Bruce smiles, and says, "Um. Was I supposed to bring some gear with me? I can jump off, and be back in a bit with some gear, if that is okay?" Bruce blinks at June's language, but doesn't say anything. "I see that June has brought some stuff. I wasn't sure if I'd get the job. That is, if I did get the job? I'm not bad at math to. I can help if you need someone to double check anything?"
- Fathom has posed:
Aspen doesn't show any distress at June's language. Though she makes a mental note to say something should the girl end up meeting Natasha. That was a surprise, the CEO coming herself to give Aspen the commission. Aspen pulls herself from her thoughts, realizing she hasn't answered Bruce. "Yes, you have the job. Go ahead and grab your things. I've got basic provisions, but if there is anything you're extra partial to, let me know and we can pick some up. And please, feel free to just call me Aspen," she says. "I'll let you guys work out who gets which bunk," she says with a smile.