8576/Worldly Ambition

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Worldly Ambition
Date of Scene: 29 July 2019
Location: Library - Xavier's School
Synopsis: Plans to change the world. Or maybe pick a new one.
Cast of Characters: Cypher, Sunspot
Tinyplot: The X-Corporation


Cypher has posed:
Doug is in the library, alone. He has his laptop out, and a pile of books in front of him. He's reading one, held up in his left hand, not paying any attention to the monitor. As he reads, his right hand flies over the keys. He's dressed for the warm summer, in shorts and a loose gray tank top.

Whatever happened to him, his right arm is now black, slightly shiny, covered with gold circuitry filigree that seems to repattern itself in the corner of the eye -- like Warlock.

He jogs one foot, as he works, a star map on the screen of his laptop. He seems to be checking and re-checking coordinates for something... doing a lot of spatial math.

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto has been looking for Doug since he got to the school. He heard he had been shoot, and was supposed to check him up a couple days ago. But then he heard Doug had left the medbay on his own, so he figured it had not been serious.

Still, he feels a bit guilty he couldn't find time to visit when Doug was injured, so he did ask about the other man and was directed to the library. And sure, there is Mr. Ramsey. "Good afternoon, Doug," he greets, then Berto spots his arm. "Mae de Deus, what happened to your arm?"

Cypher has posed:
"The price I paid for being up and around." Doug says. "The Transmode virus in my system decided it was going to try to reboot me into a techno-organic life form so that a near-death experience like that didn't happen again. My right arm was--" He frowns, "My compromise with it." He flexes those black and gold fingers. "Maybe this is my destiny, Berto, to lose my humanity a piece at a time. I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Not sure HOW I should feel about it. But! I wanted to talk to you. See, I've been *thinking*..."

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto grimaces at Doug's statement, shaking his head. "I hope McCoy and the Prof have taken a look to that and are working in a solution. Pretty sure the Transmode virus is not supposed to be healthy for any living being outside the Technarchy." Pause, "humanity is not in the flesh. Warlock is more humane than most human beings. But still..." he sits down and gestures to the changed arm. "That is not something that should be accepted."

Roberto definitely does not feel at ease with that arm made of circuitry and light. "Well, I also wanted to talk to you at length. When you were recovered, that is. Which I am not sure it is right now."

Cypher has posed:
"Well. I got it from Warlock. Trust me, the conversations I've had with it are less 'I long to consume all organic life' and more 'Arguing with your overanxious helicopter parent'. It's like a gray goo scenario, except the Gray Goo wants me home before sundown and insists I wear my galoshes even if it's not raining." He drums those black and gold fingers against the table.r
"But it didn't come with an instruction manual, either, so I'm still figuring out what it is and what it does. I do know I don't believe anything that came from Warlock would ever hurt me, or anyone else." He hoolds his hand out, fingers spread.

"I'm not sure I'm going to get more recovered than I am right now." He says, "So let's just do it. I've been... listening. And I've come to a conclusion. While I'm not so jaded as to write off the entire human race, there's a persistent group of powerful people who're always going to see us in a binary way -- as a resource to be exploited or a eugenic threat to be eliminated."

"I'm not saying we should abandon Earth or the human race -- But what I am saying is... I think we should start workshopping alternatives. A fall-back. A place by mutants, for mutants, if you will.

He curls his fingers into a fist, slowly. "I'm not talking about 'Nice Genosha' so much... that's predicated on Magneto's vision. His future. We deserve to decide our own future, as a people."

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto arches an eyebrow, "oh, do tell?" There is touch of sarcasm there. "You can ask Dani about how entire groups of people, humans, can be target for genocide, and I can tell you much about what is going on in Brazil with indigenous tribes and the black population. By the way, I am too dark to be white, too. And I have been attacked by bigots for the color of my skin even before I had heard of mutants. Even though my father was one of Brazil's most powerful men, he couldn't protect me from racism. Indeed, I suspect he didn't even try. Some lessons can't be taught."

He grunts, leaning back on his seat, "you think you have it tough? You are a white American protestant, Doug." He smirks a bit, "and this is your country of birth. You shouldn't be forced to leave. No one should. We have to stay and fight for our rights."

Cypher has posed:
"Yes, Bobby, I'm also aware your mother's white -- which makes you even *worse* to some people if they were to learn about it." Doug says, before he murmurs, "That's the question, the fine line between self-preservation and self-segregation. Well, that's a no from you. I'll keep workshopping it."

"By the way, don't ever accuse me of not being aware of my own relative privilege again. Please. I'm reminded of it every time I walk down the street in Mutant Town." He seems... discomfitted. "But you made your point."

He closes his laptop, with his left hand. "Now, what did you want from me?"

Sunspot has posed:
"My mother has been called..." Roberto handwaves. Because Nina Da Costa can and will put anyone that berates her or her family in place with a skill even Emmanuel envied. "Nevermind. Yes, hard no to leaving. Instead I am going to build infrastructure for the mutants, here and in Brazil, and anywhere else Da Costa International can reach. I was talking to Kitty about it the other day, and I am going to try to enlist Xavier and a few other influential mutants and pro-mutant right humans for aid."

Cypher has posed:
Doug puts his chin in his hand, and then says, "Right." He says. "...So where do I come in, or was there something else you want to talk to me about?" He asks, before he leans back, and crosses his ankles. "I've decided that maybe it's best I give up working at the club right now -- I'm not having a hard time focusing on my schoolwork, but I think it might unsettle the others to see me up and around so quickly -- plus this." He glances at his new arm.

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto ahs... "that is not going to cause much of an impression in Mutant Town," he notes. But he nods, perhaps it would be best of Dough takes a few days off. "We hired extra security, but Sam wants to revamp the technology. And I agree. Some cameras, metal detectors, perhaps an automatic facial-recognition system. But nothing too visible, as we want to keep it mutant-friendly. I thought you could help with that."

But the club is a small business that just got too much attention lately. No, that was not all. "In general, I did hope you would get involved in a larger, more ambitious project. You are a rarity in this school, Doug, because you are a mutant whose powers are not well-suited for combat, yet they grant you skills that give you a vast advantage in many modern jobs."

Cypher has posed:
"I can give you a comprehensive workup, and setups for the most effective, least-invasive available technology, yeah. I assume money is no object, but try to come in under budget if I can swing it?" He looks up, and then says, "...I have a few tricks." But then he sighs. "Yeah. As much as I might wish it were otherwise, I'm no Superman. Thus the law degree."

He gets up, and walks over to an espresso machine on a cart. "You want one?" He asks, gesturing for his friend to go on.

Sunspot has posed:
"Well, neither is Tony Stark," points out Roberto. "But the point I was trying to make," pause. Coffee? "Yes, I could use a cup," he admits. And back into tracks, "the point is many mutants are not supermen. They often have small advantages, but should stay away from gunfights. And many times they have odd appearances and suffer discrimination. I want those mutants, Doug. I want to offer them jobs where they can use their abilities for profit."

Cypher has posed:
"That carries with it logistical problems, too. This country already has enough issues providing with people with disabilities without someone pitching a fit." Doug makes two small cups of double espresso, and gives Bobby one, before he drops back into his chair, and cradles the other in techno-organic fingers. It's hot, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"They have a hard time getting employed not just because of their appearances, but because they require accomodations unique to them. Try convincing an employer to hire you when you need furniture specially shaped for your body -- or reinforced chairs and tables... or reinforced floors and walls? No, I'm with you on this. But where do I come in?"

Sunspot has posed:
"Not always," comments Roberto. "But in some cases... hell, it is all going to be in a case per case basis. Still well worth the effort. Mutant Town has some of the highest unemployment and poverty rates of America. That needs to be fixed."

He adds, "and it is the same in almost every country. Anti-mutant racism is world-wide, and in some places much worse than in the US. In some former soviet republics and some Muslim countries it is outright genocide. But I have to this thing here, where I have power and influence. I want you to help because I need computer security that can stop anything short of Doctor Doom. As well as well... if I can get Xavier to share his research and data banks, I will have to train hundreds of mutants. Not to fight, but to work."

Cypher has posed:
"...I'm pretty sure I could stop Doctor Doom if I had to." Cypher says. "At least on the technological front. He'd probably have something else I was no good against." Then he sighs, and says, "...Do you know why I'm going to law school?" He asks. "...It's because people are more challenging than computers."

"But be careful, because your political opponents are going to start accusing you of discriminatory hiring practices... be ready for it." Then he raises his coffee to his lips. "An X-Corporation, huh? Well... if you need someone to design your IT network -- yeah, I can do that."

Sunspot has posed:
"X-Corporation sounds good as placeholder name," admits Roberto, sipping from the coffee. The heat doesn't bother him either, unsurprisingly. "Design my IT network, yes. In fact, I will pay you big bucks for it, since this is a business, not really charity. Well, there will be that too, but I do hope the corporation is at least self-sustainable on the medium range."

Discriminatory hiring practices? He smirks. "Oh, I will get the best man or woman for each position. In fact, I will be happy to employ meta-humans too."

Cypher has posed:
"...I'm sure it will be. Though -- what will it DO?" Doug asks, before he pops his fingers, on both hands, not really paying attention to it. "I can absolutely do that for you." He says, before he meets Bobby's eyes. "...I want to have a share in the stock and sit on the board of directors."

Well, that was forthright. "CTO. Chief Technology Officer." He sits back, and puts his hands behind his head. "You make me the CTO, and I'm in."

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto laughs, "fine, but what about your law career?" The stock share is no problem, although if it is going to be worth anything in five years is the big question. A sub-director, though, will be swamped by work because Roberto will try to spread over South America and Africa as fast as possible.

"In any case, this is just in the bare bones," admits Roberto. "I can do it at small scale, by opening business in Mutant Town and other ghettoes, but I do need Xavier's help for the whole training and adaptation matters."

Cypher has posed:
"I can pursue a law degree while doing this." Doug says, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty freaking talented." Then he shrugs his shoulders and says, "...I've been thinking about my own life too, and how in some ways I've been hiding my light under a bushel. I want to be an X-Man. I want to help people..." His eyes glitter, "And I want to show people a little bit of what I can do."

"Mind you, I'm only getting in on this because I know whatever you're involved in will have a conscience." Then he rubs his chin. "Start small... plan for rapid growth. Union shop?" He perks one eyebrow.

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto chuckles, "I will give you the bare bones project," he offers, giving the blond man a pen drive. It includes many reports on super-human work, studies on applicable laws from several countries, statistics on mutant abilities (partial and incomplete) and a long list of names of mutants and humans that could be involved in the project. Only about a dozen have been contacted so far, and those are in Brazil. Finally there is a fairly complete and detailed report on the current business in Mutant Town and how they are both exploiting and dealing with diverse mutant abilities. The conclusion is there are too many bars and clubs and too few real innovative business. Although some art and fashion shops are doing remarkably well.

Cypher has posed:
Doug takes it, and then plugs it into his computer. "There are certainly projects we can start on." He says, bringing up information and adding to it. "Urban gardens, grocery stores -- employing people AND minimizing the footprint of the food deserts in Mutant Town? That would be huge." He lens over his computer, and then beckons Roberto to watch with his techno-organic hand. "The thing about a really good infrastructure is that it can support itself AND generate revenue, if you build the system the right way. And systems are my super-power."

Sunspot has posed:
"Yes to all that," replies Roberto. "I do hope some specialized mutant powers would generate great performance bonus, and therefore make up for expenditures in specialized training and gear. I do not have reliable data, however." He sighs, "some super-humans do use their powers for work, such as in Damage Control. But they tend to have levels of power and skill far beyond the average. Starting will be rough."

Cypher has posed:
"Maybe." Doug says, before he glances back to Berto, and then he says, "There's nothing WRONG with bars and entertainment venues. They allow for the employment of creative people and they generate revenue, but they're only part of the whole picture. Another thing you can offer..." Doug says, "Remeber when I told you that there are people who see mutants as a resource to be exploited? Well. On our terms? Within our guidelines and limits? Mutants and their abilities can be the product. The things we can do that nobody else can, with a robust corporate infrastructure to protect the mutants themselves from exploitation--" He thinks. "It's maybe a little cynical, it might seem a little mercenary, but it could work."

Sunspot has posed:
"There is nothing mercenary in making sure other mutants get a well-paid job," replies Roberto, finishing his coffee. "Unemployment is a serious problem in Mutant Town. Mostly due to discrimination, but also due to a lack of specialized companies offering training and facilities. It is not going to be exploitation, Doug. I am already rich enough for a hundred lives. If this work it will pull out of poverty hundreds, maybe thousands."

Cypher has posed:
Doug is silent, for a long time. "There are people who'll try to stop you." He sips his coffee again, and then grins. "Poor bastards. They don't know you like I do!"

Sunspot has posed:
"Well, of course," replies Roberto, standing up. "Good thing I have a lot of combat training, right? And I have some dangerous friends," he adds with a smile, heading out.